I have seen this on every DLP I have watched. They all have a problem rendering color gradations. They tend to get very blocky and pixelized.
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How many DLP's have you watched. I nave not noticed this.

After looking at the Reverse Gray Ramps on DVE (Title 12, chapter 14), I noticed that many of the grays (especially the darker ones) had a distinct reddish colour. I suspect that this is what is causing the false contouring that I am seeing. Does anyone else see this problem? I have a tech coming on Monday to take a look...

Also, does anyone know a) how to check the current firmware version, and b) what the latest version is?

Thanks

Originally posted by HTMAN21

How many DLP's have you watched. I nave not noticed this.

In all seriousness, just about all of them. Panasonic and toshiba at home, and the rest at the stores. I never made an issue out of it because it's really pretty minor and nothing I consider annoying.

Speaking of DVE or Avia color calibration CDs, please tell me that you do not have to buy these online. I have asked at Best Buy, and Tweeter, and no one has had any idea what I'm talking about.

Where can you get these?

I got DVE (yes, I got it on ebay), but am having a hard time following their commentary. I used it to adjust the color/brightness/tint settings fairly decently (I couldn't get it perfect - is that normal?), but I'm not sure what else to do.

How do you adjust the Picture setting with DVE? Or is that just an individual preference? How about using DVE to find the right Color Temp setting?

ok, just ordered my pt50dl54 today (not a bad deal from a local retailer, $2299, free portable dvd player, they also have an extended warranty- 3yrs with 1 bulb replacement)........

now then, what is this warranty people are talking about on here? Warrantech RepairMaster? Would that be a better option than above (the above was $250 for the 3yrs with 1 bulb replacement)

also, I need a hdmi to dvi or something cable since I have a dvi dvd player, so I was thinking since I need one of those anyway...... should I get a calibration dvd/cd or something? please let me know what I need to get and/or know as I'm really excited about getting this tv and want to keep it running great and all that :) thank you so much...... also, not that I will need to know for awhile but I am having trouble finding bulbs for this (i am just curious as to where to get them and the price, sorry but I'm looking up lots now that I have one ordered :) )

First off all, thanks for all the great info posted here. I bought one of these sets from Sam's a few days ago. I am awaiting a friend's calibration DVD, have gone with Topp's settings for now. PQ is great, as good or better than I expected! I was going to get one of the Samsung's, but opted for the Panasonic when I saw it.

Now the "new guy" question: Can one of you break down the DVD player options for me? Right now I have an old (~5 yrs) GE hooked up through LR Video RCAs. It has S video out, but I don't have the cable. If you saw my old TV you'd understand. :( I have looked through this thread for info, but am still unclear of a few things. Can I let the TV handle deinterlacing if I use a different input? I want to get the quality out of the set that it is capable of. Do I need to replace the DVD player, or will I get all the capability of the set if I hook it up to another input? If I'm going to replace it, what should I look for in a new player as far as display options and connectors?

I appologize if this has all been answered before, but I did read just about all of this thread a few days ago and am a bit overwhelmed. I searched the thread for "DVD" and couldn't locate the post I remember seeing.

Originally posted by jambon
Speaking of DVE or Avia color calibration CDs, please tell me that you do not have to buy these online. I have asked at Best Buy, and Tweeter, and no one has had any idea what I'm talking about.

Where can you get these?

My local BestBuy had the DVE ...you can also find them on eBay.

Originally posted by jambon
Speaking of DVE or Avia color calibration CDs, please tell me that you do not have to buy these online. I have asked at Best Buy, and Tweeter, and no one has had any idea what I'm talking about.

Where can you get these?


Crutchfield sells the AVIA calibration disk

I want to fist say thanks to all the folks on the forum and this thread. I recently purchased one of these units after doing a little research and reading the forums.

I have found one odd thing that I was curious if anyone else has expirienced.

I have my set connected to a UPS, however when the UPS looses supply, IE I unplugg the UPS from the walll, the TV seems to sense a voltage or current drop and automatically turns off.

However this shutdown seems to be much shorter then the normal PWR OFF by buttom and I not certain I am hearing the fan continue to run and cool the lamp.

Has anyone else seen this behavior?

Thanks
Rob

The UPS should keep the voltage the same regardless of whether you unplug or there is a spike or outage. What kind of UPS is it and what is its rated voltage?

anyone know what sam's club policy is on return's? is it the same as costco's where you can return it at anytime?

It is a 900va 500watt Context (APC no name brand from what I can tell.) The other devices that are connected to it do not even blink just the TV.

I thought maybe it had "Smart" power or something that sensed the voltage and shut the unit down for protection.

Thanks
Rob

I believe SAM'S policy is 90 days.

OT: I bought 3 air purifiers last June and returned them in September. Just told them I wasn't satisfied with the purchase.

Satisfaction guranteed.

There is no hurt in trying to return something. All they can say is "no."

That's why Sams sell's extended warranty's, but....i was told by management there that you can bring it backs yr's later....
Dlp?..i think LCD panny kicks dlp's arse!!!
And all the Samsung lovers...its looks like crap in a well lit warehouse!!!

Bud-man has obviously not actually seen the Panny DLP. I have met *NO ONE* who thinks the Panny LCD looks better than the Panny DLP. If they see rainbows, they may settle for it.

Actually, I can see the rainbows (strange it's only in one eye) and I still chose the DLP over the LCD. I examined every set I could get my hands on and had the opportunity to watch several different brands in various homes and the Panny DLP had the best overall PQ in my opinion.

Hi BJMOOSE

What's your opinion of a 4:3 picture in stretched mode compared to other brands you have seen?

Thanks,

I've not been really satisfied with any of the stretch modes I've seen. The Full Mode on the Panny leaves a lot to be desired I think compared to the xxxx85 series in the Samsung. However the Just Mode is the best of all the models I've looked at (even the Toshiba which was high on my list). The Just Mode seems to stretch the sides of the picture, but not so much the middle. I think the Zoom Mode on all the models is a waste.

I notice the geometry quite a bit and am still trying to settle on the Just Mode of the Panny or the Stretch Mode of my Motorola (Comcast) 6412 DVR. So far, the edge goes to the Panny Just Mode. There are some things that I just plain watch as 4:3 because the distortion takes away from the show.

Hopefully, more and more networks will go the HD route and render this topic mute.

I've settled on JUST mode also after about 3 months of using the Panny. I have kids and the cartoons look especially good on JUST...heheheh.
Seriously, I was anti-stretch at the beginning, but after using JUST I like it allot.
One other thing I noticed is that I can change the aspect even when using the HDMI port. The manual says the aspect is not enabled when using the HDMI port, but I found I still can.

I don't even get JUST mode as a choice most (all?) of the time? Why not? Perhaps something is wrong with my TV? When I am watching SD, I get the choices FULL, ZOOM, or 4:3 but not JUST. I do remember getting that choice, but maybe that was only on my original TV (I exchanged one out because it had intermittent power problems)

What types of input should support JUST mode?

Check pg. 13 of your manual...

Justified is only available on a 480i input, so if you have a 480p, 720p, or 1080i input from a tuner or DVD player, you don't have justified as an option.

720p and 1080i inputs have zero options for aspect ratio. 480p has FULL, ZOOM and 4:3. I think this applies both to component and HDMI inputs.

Personally, I see no reason to try to expand a 4:3 picture to the full size of the screen. That's one of the benefits of a DLP - you don't have to worry about burn-in so no need to distort a 4:3 picture to full screen. But...we all have our own preferences...

Ben

I like watching it at full screen, but usually use Full. My SD receiver is being fed through a DVD recorder, so maybe the DVD-recorder is converting it. I'll try hooking up the receiver directly to see if I get the "JUST" option back.

hi all

well, after lurking for a while, i gave in and got a PT50DL54 yesterday (my boss got me a deal on one that i couldn't pass on). so far, i'm pretty pleased with it.

i've only been able to watch some SD on it (cable guy coming saturday), and the picture isn't all that bad. i can see it's not quite as smooth, but i imagine that's because it's a lot more screen than the 20" CRT it's replacing, and the fact that my apartment is small ( = i'm probably closer to the screen than i should be).

i haven't had time to play with settings yet, but i jotted down some settings that had been posted on this thread to try tonight. i also got an "Avia Guide to Home Theater" disc which i will take a look at as well.

something strange i noticed is that when i play a dvd (Hard Boiled, Criterion Collection) through component1, the image looks better in the "4:3" aspect setting than the "Zoom" or "Full" (i could swear that on "Full", the image is squished). is this because i'm still accustomed to old regular non-HD 4:3 CRTs?

anyhow, thanks to everyone in this thread for the guidance and info.

-k

ps: no rainbows here (yet?)

Hi all,
I was really enjoying my new tv until the cable box was hooked up to it, and my SD didn't look as great. I was watching with just on all the channels, but when the box was hooked up to it, I didn't like the PQ as well as before. I had a VCR hooked up to the cable box, daisy chained also to the tv, so I disconnected it and get a better picture on TV now instead of component. My friend at the cable company is going to hook up a splitter so I can run normal cable to the tv and hd cable to the infernal box on component. Anyways, I've been watching a lot of 4:3 in the meantime...

As far as aspect goes, Full is worthless, in my opinion. I use zoom when watching movies that have black bars on the top and bottom being shown in their original aspect on a 4:3 channel, like Turner Classic Movies or Sci-Fi (Indiana Jones last night) and notice little loss in PQ in those situations. I use Just and 4:3 the most.

Yes, the TV connection direct from the wall produces a much better Analog picture than through the box. There are some things (college basketball games mostly) that I want to watch, but aren't on HD channels. I choose to watch these through the direct connection. However, after watching anything HD, all analog and SD pales in comparison.

kurenai - check to make sure your DVD player is set to output "widescreen/16x9" instead of "4:3". It sounds like this might be why the aspect doesn't seem correct on your TV's "full" setting.

I had to do this when I first got my Panny. I was freaking out a bit because the aspect didn't look right and I knew it should - then I remembered the DVD player had a widescreen or 4:3 setting and it was still on 4:3 from the old TV.

After waiting three weeks for my Panny to arrive my first 24 hours with it has not been at all what I had expected. Hopefully, someone will have some advice on my two problems.

Do not as of yet have my HD Dish receiver so my first view was watching SD with my 721 receiver. Picture wise what I had expected especially considering an S Video connection. Tried a number of picture settings that I have jotted down from this thread but the one thing I was not able to correct is a strong green tint to the picture.

Putting in a DVD in my Panasonic DMR-E100H recorder using component connections the green tint turned into a totally green picture. Changing to an S Video connection back to a colored picture with the green tint.

What is even more bothersome is the fan noise. Even with my surround sound system cranked up the fan noise is evident . Not the fan noise that I am use to with my laptop which is a consistent sound but more a varying pitch sound. Using a sound meter I am getting 82db near the fans. Taking a reading in front of my center speaker the reading is 62db. Thus the fan noise is overpowering. In the store I hardly heard the fans even with my ear right up against the back of the set so this is a real unpleasant surprise.

Sorry to hear that, lucas3...it sounds like you definitely have a defective model. I haven't heard of any green tint problems among any other owners...I certainly don't have any.

I thought *I* had a lousy fan, because mine is louder than that of some other people, but it is nothing like yours. Again, there must be something very wrong. Maybe it is a problem with the color wheel? My fan is audible until I turn the volume up to about 10-11 on the TV, after that I can't hear unless I try really hard to notice it. With a surround sound system, there's no way I'd hear it.

Where did you get it from? I'd ask for an exchange immediately, or failing that, return it, and get one from Sam's Club.

FYI... my fan puts out 50dB 11" to the left of the TV w/ the dB meter facing directly at the fan/light. Any more than 11" and the meter drops below it's range.

JW

I’ve had my Panny DLP for about 2 weeks now and although I am largely happy and content with it, I’m wondering if there is a way to minimize the false contouring that seems to occur quite a bit—even with 1080I and 720p signals. I’m using “good-enough” component cables coming from my Comcast HD cable box. I’ve tried the DVI to HDMI route but thought the PQ was better with components. My question is: is the false contouring thing more related to the source signal, or to the connection? I’ve been waiting on Voom to get squared away before I possibly give them a try. Just wanted some feedback on whether the PQ issues are a given with DLPs, or if I can get around them somehow—Like I said, I am otherwise very happy with the PQ … Thanks.

Hi again-
I just got the splitter hooked up so I can watch SD without running it through the cable box. I watch HD with the box and it looks great. The SD looks a lot better now, and I can use the split screen function again, as it would only have moving images on one side with the box.

hb2, do you think the false contouring has to do with your cable box? What does it look like when you bypass your box? I don't notice this problem on mine, unless I'm not looking correctly.

My cable guys who installed my splitter yesterday were going on about how this is the best big screen they'd ever seen, and they hook tvs up for a living. One was commenting how good the picture looked even when you stood close to it.

I have the same problem as Pale. When I pull the plug on the UPS everything stays up but the TV . It cuts off. IM using a Belkin F6C1500-TW-RK 1500 VA UPS.

The consensus of opinions from different forums regarding the 82db reading I obtained at the left back of the Pany is that there is a problem with the color wheel.

Took some new sound readings this evening. The reading on the left side dropped down to 77db. Listening to the sound it is variable which would seem to be caused by vibration. I also took a reading this time on the right side and the meter dropped into the 50 range. The sound on this side is more steady. I am guessing I am then hearing the color wheel on the left and more of the sound of the fan on the right. Taking a reading directly in front I am getting a reading of 63db.

In researching HDTV's the Panny impressed me with almost no negative posts. Considering how this purchase has gone it only makes sense that I would end up with a defective unit. Not at all looking forward to calling Tweeter's web site on Monday. I can only imagine how badly this is going to play out.

Does any one know how to get the total hours the lamp has been used using the service menu. I know how to access the service menu but which setting to check for?
Reason: I am buying a store display model, so just wanted to check this one out

After many months of research and reading this forum I finally decided to pull the trigger and purchase this tv. The bad news is now that I am ready to buy, I can't find anybody ready to sell. It appears as though supply is drying up leading to the release of the new models.

Does anyone know where I can purchase this tv? I checked with TV Authority and they are out of stock and not likely to get more. Needless to say, I am also trying to avoid paying top dollar.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

well, finally got my tv and got it hooked up- not as impressive as i hoped but it is very nice (i think it's my they way i have things hooked up, plus i probably need to do some tweeking)..... I have noticed one thing (hoping it's nothing but I guess we will see)- that thing is when I turn on my ps2 (have this hooked up thru component video- not that I think that matters) I notice a slight white light thru one spot on the tv (only at certain angles and I have to be up pretty close), i'm thinking it's possibly the bulb and probably normal- hoping to get back to the store I got it from to take a look but i'm not so sure they have any hooked up :(
I may have two dead pixels too? not sure but I believe so (i'm not even sure if that's what it is or how to say it or what but..... 2 really really tiny black pixels it appears :( can't see it though unless you are like pressed against the screen but i of course had to notice :( )
now i'm wondering how do you access the service menu and is it possible to see the lamp hours? just curious, thanks...
seriously though, in my opinion after looking at them all at the store I really really do like this tv, and with very little negative responses or problems reported I think I will be very happy with this tv, and i figure if there are any problems there is also the warranty (3 yrs for me since i got extended warranty, one bulb included)- speaking of warranty, in the manual there is a page where if the bulb dies within one year you can get one from panasonic? anyone ever do this and what is the procedure they take? thanks again... (one last thing, mine is a sept. 2004 model ending in j and so far the fan is very very quiet, that was my biggest concern but so far, very quiet)

STUPID STUPID STUPID-

found out how to get in the service menu (some people, including me should not mess around with this)....... anyway, what is the factory setting for th brightness in the service menu? i hope someone knows what I mean, i didn't mean to screw with it but did, it's not a huge deal i guess but i'd rather keep it factory i think, thanks......)

Just a thought (if it's possible.....) maybe we could list the default values for the service menu (the only one I can not list it's default value for is the brightness one (bw i think it is, i'm scared to go back in there and risk hitting the volume button again and screwing anything up) but anyway, if anyone needs them let me know, and if someone can list that one for me I would really appreciate it, thanks........ (and no, i'm not going to try to adjust anything more than what i can with the remote anymore, i'm too afraid to screw it up :( i would feel much better to get that default value back as well, thanks)

i've read about the sets sometimes being out of focus, but i am not going to try that myself, i'm happy with the way it is (even if it could be better), just my opinion but unless your picture is really off and/or you really know what your doing (unlike me) i personally would suggest leaving the set to it's basics (hope this helps)....... anyway, please post back so i can sleep at night (kidding, but seriously I would feel better, thanks again.........)

Try Sam's Club, we have them locally at the one in Florence Ky. Purchased mine 2 weeks ago and LOVE it. It was less than $2400 before tax.

Eric


Originally posted by dtooch
After many months of research and reading this forum I finally decided to pull the trigger and purchase this tv. The bad news is now that I am ready to buy, I can't find anybody ready to sell. It appears as though supply is drying up leading to the release of the new models.

Does anyone know where I can purchase this tv? I checked with TV Authority and they are out of stock and not likely to get more. Needless to say, I am also trying to avoid paying top dollar.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

Originally posted by raven500
..... anyway, what is the factory setting for th brightness in the service menu? i hope someone knows what I mean, i didn't mean to screw with it but did, it's not a huge deal i guess but i'd rather keep it factory i think, thanks......)

I believe the value for Brightness shown in the service menu is the same as the value that you set in the regular menu, which you can reset to factory default. Press the menu button on the remote, click on the first Picture icon on the left...this brings up the picture settings. Go to the bottom, where it says "Normal" ...this is referring to the factory defaults...if this says "No", then you've changed the factory defaults. Click on it and press the volume to change it to "Yes"...this resets to the factory defaults. Check it in each video mode (Cinema, Standard, and Vivid) as the settings are mode-specific.

as far as the service menu and the "menu" changes- they seem to be seperate, I went back in and set everything back to factory on the menu but it did not change the service menu settings at all (the only setting I changed was the brightness one in the service menu but it doesn't matter if i change them all "vivid" "cinema" "standard" to the factory settings or change them myself- the service menu does not change.....

again, if someone could go in to the service menu and post what it says for the brightness one i would appreciate it, I check this forum all the time and all my other service options are factory so if anyone needs those i can post them, thanks for the help.......

hmmmm...you're right, they are different...i apologize. My factory setting for brightness in the service menu is:
00 2B 08 00

And its the same for all modes...Cinema, Standard, and Vivid.

thanks for the response, after working today i will set that back to default (i believe I am close but just want it factory for now) thank you very much for that...........

now since that is going to be fixed i will not mess with that (unless i right down the value so i can set it back) but i am wondering a couple of things:

1: has anyone had any trouble with the bulb burning out fast? just curious as I see that you can get a bulb from panasonic within the first year if you do? (also has anyone tried to get a bulb, what is the process, i'm curious on this, hoping I have no problems for a long time though of course)

2: what is the best way to get this picture looking it's best? I have read about the avia (?? hope that's what it's called) dvd disc? isf calibration (again, excuse me if I screw up what these are called, if you guys don't know what I'm talking about i'll post back with the correct names ;) lol . just curious as i believe the picture could be better, it's nice but it could be better in my opinion, just wondering how to make it better without making it worse (just a little afraid to mess, but at least i know better now to make sure i write down any settings from the service menu, thank you for that again by they way)......


oh yes, one other interesting thing I read (and I personally don't think i'd be brave enough to do but then again... lol no really i probably wouldn't but just curiuos on it) is the thing about some of these being shipped out of focus and something by the bulb you can focus them or something? does every do this or i am misreading? (probably just gonna live with the set the way it is other than maybe the avia calibration dvd, but just curious on opinions from other panasonic owners on these subjects, thanks)

that's it for now, my only complaint that i can see with this tv (other than only one hdmi, which i am using with my dvd player, is that you can not use the split screen with the hdmi or the rgb :( oh well, can't have everything).... bye4now, thanks.....

I bought this for the family for xmas this year. The store I got it from offered a 60 day trial, full money back offer that I could not refuse. I was drawn in by the quality of the picture and the plasma like appearence of the set. I had spent many hours on this site, reading about the pros and cons of the set....trying to determine which of the complaints were valid and which were comments from picky people. I knew going into this that there would be no "perfect" set with the technology still evolving a couple times a year.

I tried to live with the Panny DLP for a full 50 days. I must also state that I got this set with two dead mirrors OOTB though I ignored them as there were other issues I was dealing with that seemed more problematic.

1)--The fan issue--I really thought I could get past this. If I spent all my time watching big time movies with the SUB on, I could. Watching general TV late at night, when the kids are asleep, with the volume down low.....I could hear it, and it bothered me. There are many accountings in this thread of people that have tried exchanges, hush kits and other ways to fix this. IT IS REALITY!!! Color wheel or not, this is just a noisy set. If you hear it and it bugs you, you won't be able to keep the set either. After 50 days...it still bugged me.

2)--Rainbows--If you are the 10% that see these, don't try it. You spend more time trying to not to move your head to fast away from the set, or dreading the next dark sceen with a white light in it.....etc..... In case you wonder, I did not ever see one in a show room, but once I got it home and spent several hours with it in a dark room away from all the distractions of a show room, they found me! My 15 year old son saw them also, even though my wife thinks I am nuts.

3)--Eye strain/headaches--I noticed that many of my son's friends complained of low grade headaches after an hour of watching the set. I got them too. My wife complained of her eyes always feeling tired.

I eventually traded the set for a Sony KDF55WF655 after trying really hard to make the Panny work for me. I agree that the picture is better on the Panny. It was sharper, better blacks, contrast and brighter. But in the long run, it did not matter. I did not want to watch the set. The Sony picture is very good and my only real complaint is the lack of true blacks. Though I am getting used to living with it. I must admit that I love not hearing a fan. It kicks in strong on start up and then dies down to a very low hum after about 30 seconds. There is no eye strain or headaches at all. The set is very comfortable to watch and has a better sound system in my opinion. Angles of viewing are better also by a small margin. The extra 5 inches of size (50 vs 55) are appreciated. I always felt the 50 inch was a bit small for my viewing distance of 10-12 ft. The 55" is much more comfortable. AND NO RAINBOWS!! I am glad I made the change. I actually got rid of the box that it came in. Maybe that is the best judge of how happy you are with the set. I always had the Panny box waiting in the garage for the eventual return. Somehow, I always knew I would be taking it back after about the first 2 days. I guess if you spend 3K for something, you ought to be happy with it and enjoy the purchase. If you are one of the many on this board that love the PT50DL54, I am happy for you. It has a great picture. If you find yourself talking yourself into keeping it, move on. You will be glad you did. I can fully recommend the KDF55WF655 and they can be had for well under 3K also.

wls--

wsorenson,
I'm glad you are happy with the Sony, but for me the PQ is the Holy Grail, and I could never trade in a set with some minor negatives on the periphery (fan slightly annoying at low volumes, occasional rainbows) for something with worse PQ.

However, it sounds like the Panny caused more problems for you than it is for us. The rainbows are minimal, and no eye strain/headaches reported.

Regardless, though, I couldn't accept a lesser PQ. ANyway, the SDE is a total killer on RP LCD for me, even at 10'-12'. But I'm glad it doesn't bother you.

Ditto, DLP-Dave. Also, not all these tvs have loud fans. Mine is whisper quiet. I can only hear it if I put my ear behind the tv. I got headaches from other DLPs, but not this one.

Originally posted by DLP-Dave
wsorenson,
I'm glad you are happy with the Sony, but for me the PQ is the Holy Grail, and I could never trade in a set with some minor negatives on the periphery (fan slightly annoying at low volumes, occasional rainbows) for something with worse PQ.

However, it sounds like the Panny caused more problems for you than it is for us. The rainbows are minimal, and no eye strain/headaches reported.

Regardless, though, I couldn't accept a lesser PQ. ANyway, the SDE is a total killer on RP LCD for me, even at 10'-12'. But I'm glad it doesn't bother you.

DLP-Dave--believe me, I understand. I struggled for 50 days with the decision. Glad to hear your happy. I think if I had not gotten the eye strain/headaches with the Panny, I would have kept it. Something about how some people process the DLP picture just does not settle with them. The store I got mine from indicated that they have a considerable number of DLP returns (of all makes) for various reasons. Everyone seems to agree, myself included, that the picture on the DLP 2+ are dang nice. For me, it lost its appeal when I was cutting my viewing short to get the tylenol out of the cupboard. But I am happy with the Sony. I can't see the SDE past 4-5 ft. It was a concern for me at first when shopping. I know that many don't like the LCDs for that reason. Like I said, nothing is perfect. I guess it's good to have options that meet everyone's needs. I am sure in 3 more years both our sets will be worthy to become paperweights. As for now, I guess we are both happy. Life don't get no better than that!! Enjoy!!

wls-

I've had my panny for about 3 weeks now and love it! Great upgrade from my Sony 36" 210 pound WEGA. Just glad I could get the wife on board with a bigger set! Fan noise is minimal, PQ is awesome. Sound is great for regular TV, but not a substitute for a surround system. I am awaiting the arrival of my DVE disk to tweak it a bit. I read this forum for 2 weeks before making a decision on purchasing (which is alot less time than most I've heard, but didn't want to procrastinate).

I picked this bad boy up at Sam's because of the great price on the set and the extended warranty. All extended warranties I have seen are at least twice as what theirs was. Anyway, great info guys!

The only complaint I have is when my 2 year old turns the set on and I see a huge Dora the Explorer!:p

I have had my set for almost 3 weeks now. I previously tried the Hitachi 50VS810 (green clouds), the Mitsu 52725 (loud, bulky), and Toshiba 52” DLP (PQ lacking, general build quality questionable). I am about 98% happy with my Panny and I do not intend to trade it for anything else, but the false contouring (FC) bugs me, and although I’ve asked the question(s) before, I’ll ask again—is this the TV or is it the source?? Reviews I read said it only happened at 480p or less, but I see it in 720p and 1081I, also. The FC that is in the out of focus portions of the picture isn’t a big deal to me, but when it happens on a face, it really bugs me. Despite getting a pretty good deal on the TV, I still feel like I paid too much to see this. Also, I saw my first rainbow last night (dammit), but I don’t think it’s too big of a deal to be a dealbreaker.

I have a comcast cable HD box, and would be interested to hear if anyone who has moved to Voom thinks the PQ is better and the FC less severe with one or the other. Thanks.

Originally posted by wsorensen
DLP-Dave--believe me, I understand. I struggled for 50 days with the decision. Glad to hear your happy. I think if I had not gotten the eye strain/headaches with the Panny, I would have kept it. Something about how some people process the DLP picture just does not settle with them. The store I got mine from indicated that they have a considerable number of DLP returns (of all makes) for various reasons. Everyone seems to agree, myself included, that the picture on the DLP 2+ are dang nice. For me, it lost its appeal when I was cutting my viewing short to get the tylenol out of the cupboard. But I am happy with the Sony. I can't see the SDE past 4-5 ft. It was a concern for me at first when shopping. I know that many don't like the LCDs for that reason. Like I said, nothing is perfect. I guess it's good to have options that meet everyone's needs. I am sure in 3 more years both our sets will be worthy to become paperweights. As for now, I guess we are both happy. Life don't get no better than that!! Enjoy!!

wls-

Yeah, if you got bothersome headaches, that would be a killer. Once you get another set home anyway, you probably can't tell any difference because there is nothing to compare it to...but I still couldn't psychologically convince myself to do it, lol.

Yeah, as long as the SDE doesn't bother you, I don't think the LCD's are substantially worse than DLP's. Blacks aren't quite as good, as you say. But the SDE makes the whole screen look grainy to me, even when I am back far enough that I can't see the actual grid.

I sure hope my Panny isn't ready to become a paperweight in 3 years...I can't afford to make a major TV purchase like this too often! I'm sure there will be some fantastic TV's in 3 years...I'll just have to avoid looking, I guess, lol.

Enjoy your TV!

The false contouring is my only criticism of this set as well. I don't have a definite answer about whether its the source or the TV, but my current feeling is that it is likely some combination of both. I have an HD Tivo connected via HDMI and a DVD player (Denon 3910) connected via componenet. I notice false contouring much less on the DVD input (analog) than on material through the HDMI input, but that is a pretty subjective evaluation (i.e. not the same source material. In the past, I have tried both the HDMI and analog outputs from the HDTivo on a "paused" HiDef picture that had false contouring. The HDMI had much more visible "discrete" gradients of shading, but the analog component connection was more noisy. A theory I have is that the 10 bit A/D processing that this TV has helps the analog signals a bit in regards to false contouring. But, in the end, the clarity and lower noise of the HDMI connection trumped the slight improvement in false contouring of the component connection. I think its really hard to separate the TV and the source, because the problem could be occurring in a number of video processing steps along the way - even the original source material has some effect(I notice that highly compressed SD sources such as some of my SD DirecTV channels are much worse than over-the-air hi def channels).

Since this is my only negative comment about this TV - and it is only an occasional occurrence, I am still happy.

Originally posted by hb2
I have had my set for almost 3 weeks now. I previously tried the Hitachi 50VS810 (green clouds), the Mitsu 52725 (loud, bulky), and Toshiba 52” DLP (PQ lacking, general build quality questionable). I am about 98% happy with my Panny and I do not intend to trade it for anything else, but the false contouring (FC) bugs me, and although I’ve asked the question(s) before, I’ll ask again—is this the TV or is it the source?? Reviews I read said it only happened at 480p or less, but I see it in 720p and 1081I, also. The FC that is in the out of focus portions of the picture isn’t a big deal to me, but when it happens on a face, it really bugs me. Despite getting a pretty good deal on the TV, I still feel like I paid too much to see this. Also, I saw my first rainbow last night (dammit), but I don’t think it’s too big of a deal to be a dealbreaker.

I have a comcast cable HD box, and would be interested to hear if anyone who has moved to Voom thinks the PQ is better and the FC less severe with one or the other. Thanks.

Originally posted by slthom
I've had my panny for about 3 weeks now and love it! Great upgrade from my Sony 36" 210 pound WEGA. Just glad I could get the wife on board with a bigger set! Fan noise is minimal, PQ is awesome. Sound is great for regular TV, but not a substitute for a surround system. I am awaiting the arrival of my DVE disk to tweak it a bit. I read this forum for 2 weeks before making a decision on purchasing (which is alot less time than most I've heard, but didn't want to procrastinate).

I picked this bad boy up at Sam's because of the great price on the set and the extended warranty. All extended warranties I have seen are at least twice as what theirs was. Anyway, great info guys!

The only complaint I have is when my 2 year old turns the set on and I see a huge Dora the Explorer!:p

Sam's, huh? They were giving me conflicting information, one day its $23something, then its $2198 now its back to $23something. But I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yea, I had to persuade the wife (just a little) -- actually took her to PC Richard (in NY) and she was glued to it, I mean eyes wide-open, salvating from the mouth ;) It was an awesome sight!

I'm wondering if anyone went with the custom stand? My wife liked the stand, I didn't like the price nor the fact that I couldn't fit anything in it. But had the Sales Rep measure the stand for the Pansonic 50 LCD and the dimensions were identitical and 100 bucks cheaper. So I bought that one instead. Anyone know if it'll really fit?

Sam I Am

I got the TechCraft PLC5000 stand, which is also specifically made for the Panasonic 50" LCD/DLP...it's cheaper and, I think, better.

DLP-Dave!

I had no clue TechCraft made that type of stand. The ones I saw it seems was the older model (Sears.com). I like the straight edges (probably fits the components better). Argh! Wish I had known.

Thanks,
Sam I Am

2: what is the best way to get this picture looking it's best? I have read about the avia (?? hope that's what it's called) dvd disc? isf calibration (again, excuse me if I screw up what these are called, if you guys don't know what I'm talking about i'll post back with the correct names ;) lol . just curious as i believe the picture could be better, it's nice but it could be better in my opinion, just wondering how to make it better without making it worse (just a little afraid to mess, but at least i know better now to make sure i write down any settings from the service menu, thank you for that again by they way)......

I've yet to calibrate my tv using avia or dve, but I've followed Top's settings. That made the picture very good. There are a number of posts in this thread about other peoples' settings when they calibrated with avia or dve. Most of these are the first 20 pages or so of this thread. I've only made some minor adjustments to Topp's setting. Do a search within this tread for Topp and you'll get to his posts, which are quite good.

Congrats on your purchase. I've had my set for 6 months now, and love it! One interesting thing I read recently is that if you shut off your TV, you need to wait 30 min before powering up again. 30 min is what people say is the minimum amount of time for the bulb to cool down. If you power up before the bulb cools down, it will shorten it's life.

thanks for the reply, doing a seach for topps now, as far as the bulb on these sets- has anyone had to get one (or tried) from panasonic within that first year? i'm just curious as to the procedure as I was very surprised to see that panasonic does that (maybe all the companies do i'm not sure)- i have 3 years with the place i bought it from (and they told me to make sure i get one from them ;) lol so of course i will, but just curious on this- so far I do like the tv, I think I've watched 1 move a day since i got and some sports and ps2 gaming, i never watched a movie a day before, never had time, but now i find time lol)........... thanks again.......

About 3 weeks ago I purchased the 50DL54 from Soundtrack. They mistakingly shipped me an Open Box unit and it took about a week before the new unit arrived. While I still had the open box unit, the picture went "black" on 2 occasions -- I could still hear the sound and the green power light was still on and solid, but no picture on the screen. When the power was cycled (off for a couple minutes), the picture came back on and seemed to be OK.

I have since received a new unit which I've had for about 2 weeks. Last night, it happened again with the new unit -- same scenario as described above. Seems a bit too coincidental for this just have happened to me. Has anyone else seen this problem ? If so, what did you do about it ?

Thanks for your help. Outside of this, the TV is awesome and I really don't want to exchange it.

Please someone let me know the bulb hours retrival procedure on this unit. I know how to access the service menu but do not know which menu to check.

I have a open box and want to make sure the bulb has not been over used. I just have one more week time left to return!!

So please help

Thanks

Originally posted by puckcoach3
While I still had the open box unit, the picture went "black" on 2 occasions -- I could still hear the sound and the green power light was still on and solid, but no picture on the screen. When the power was cycled (off for a couple minutes), the picture came back on and seemed to be OK.

It happens to me once in a while, since I bought this TV (October 2004). I'm not sure what the problem is, since I cannot reproduce it at will, and since powering on and off fix the problem, I never bother to have it inspected. It really happens randomly. Last week it happened twice, but before these two events, it had not happened for months.

If anybody has any hint about why this happens, I would like to hear about it too.

Hmmmm... that's a new one. I'm just sayng this because, afer reading almost every post in this thread, (79 pages = approx 500 "real" pages printed and bindered) this is the first I've heard of it. Wonder if it's worth reporting to either your warranty company or, if in the first year, Panny service... just for a paper trail to show previous problematic issues if your TV burps in 2-5 yrs.

The TV has been in the house 2 days now and I've been playing with calibrating it a little bit. Anyway someone posted a bit back about posting the service menu codes we have. Here are mine.

I use a Hughes HTL-HD sat box


480i over component 4:3 aspect ratio
------------------------------------
color 00 1D 1E
B-Y_G 00 7A 36
Tint 00 1E 83
R-Y_A 00 7B 7C
Brigh 00 2B 08 00
Cont 00 19 02 0E

WB 00 F9 00
H-POS 00 F0 20
V-POS 00 F1 23
CW-I 00 F2 00 EE

DDP ? didn't mess with
JPEG different test patterns

AREA 00 16 ALL
IN-EX 00 17
EX-IN 00 18

1080i over component
--------------------
color 00 1F 23
B-Y_G 00 7C 34
Tint 00 20 83
R-Y_A 00 7D 80
Brigh 00 2D 08 00
Cont 00 1B 02 2E

Y-G 00 90 00 BC
PR-G 00 92 99 B1
PB-G 00 94 00 B3
Y-OS 00 C6 00 2B
PR-OS 00 C8 02 00
PB-OS 00 CA 02 00

WB 00 F9 00
H-POS 00 F0 20
V-POS 00 F1 23
CW-I 00 F2 00 EE

DDP ? didn't mess with
JPEG different test patterns

AREA 00 16 ALL
IN-EX 00 17
EX-IN 00 18

720P over component
-------------------
color 00 1F 23
B-Y_G 00 7C 34
Tint 00 20 83
R-Y_A 00 76 80
Brigh 00 2D 08 00
Cont 00 1B 02 2E

Y-G 00 8A 00 BB
PR-G 00 8C 00 B1
PB-G 00 8E 00 B2
Y-OS 00 C0 00 2B
PR-OS 00 C2 02 00
PB-OS 00 C4 02 00

WB 00 F9 00
H-POS 00 F0 20
V-POS 00 F1 23
CW-I 00 F2 00 EE

DDP ? didn't mess with
JPEG different test patterns

AREA 00 16 ALL
IN-EX 00 17
EX-IN 00 18



These setting were with the TV in standard mode. My wife wanted to watch something so I didn't get a chance to see if changing to CINEMA or VIVID would have any affect on the codes. I doubt it will but I'm gonna check anyway later tonight.
I'm not sure what it is but even with CINEMA mode for DVD's I can't the picture to look as natural as are old 32" XBR.

edited to make the codes more readable

first off, i wanted to say thanks for all the reviews that i've read on this tv. i finally picked one up yesterday and now it's sitting in my living room.

i'm in the service menu right now but i have no idea how to navigate around in it. i pushed the VOL (-) and recall button for three seconds but it really isn't a menu that appears. i just get CHK0020 4844844 09 000C6 0033 0023 at the top of the screen. if i hit the recall button, the screen changes colors to green, blue, red, etc. how do i adjust the white balance and the horizontal and vertical position??

thanks.

On my set I had to push the power button on the remote once the first grey/blank screen came up after holding the vol/recall buttons to get into the servie menu.

I just realized that reading my posts it might come off that the TV doesn't have a nice picture. When it comes to HD the picture can be excellent(depends on the show even for HD it seems). On DVD's the picture is really good. Some of the DVD's looked better than others of course. And for regular sat TV channels the picture is OK. Some are pretty bad and a few are actually pretty darn good.

My main gripe with the Tv is I just can't seem to get the colors right. I can get really close but flesh tones will have a slightly redish tint or if I get that out I get a very slight greenish tint. The greenish tint is very slight but I still notice it at times in some flesh tones and on a blonde's hair occasionally.

This may be nit picking but I've got an Infocus 4805 DLP projector here and can compare the colors and the 4805 is better(used DVE to calibrate both). It doesn't have this problem. I may have to just get the set ISF'd so everything is set right.

At this price point though I really expected to be able to get the colors pretty much dead nuts on and also to have separate settings per input. Other than these 2 things I can't really say anything bad about the TV. I don't hear the fan(I can if I stick my head next to the TV), my over scan is a little under 5%, picture is square with no tilt.

I see rainbows but they aren't bothering me to much but they do bother me some. My eyes do get a little tired/sore but I'm going to try to give it a few more days to see if I adjust to it. If they don't the TV will most likely go back but I'm not sure if it will even be worth trying another DLP.

Originally posted by fraDcat
On my set I had to push the power button on the remote once the first grey/blank screen came up after holding the vol/recall buttons to get into the servie menu.

sweet. thanks, that worked!! :cool:

Originally posted by fraDcat
My main gripe with the Tv is I just can't seem to get the colors right. I can get really close but flesh tones will have a slightly redish tint or if I get that out I get a very slight greenish tint. The greenish tint is very slight but I still notice it at times in some flesh tones and on a blonde's hair occasionally.


Using the DVE calibration disk, i was unable to get the red-green tint perfect, but it comes closest in the Cinema mode, then the Standard mode, and worst in the Vivid mode.

Originally posted by fraDcat

My main gripe with the Tv is I just can't seem to get the colors right. I can get really close but flesh tones will have a slightly redish tint or if I get that out I get a very slight greenish tint. The greenish tint is very slight but I still notice it at times in some flesh tones and on a blonde's hair occasionally.


What white balance settings have you tried, both in the service menu and in the regular menu?

DLP-Dave, how's your set working out so far? I cruised by my local B&M today looking for some computer related stuff, but of course I couldn't resist taking a stroll by the HDTV section. They now have the panny at right around 2K. I almost bought it on the spot!!! They told me they are pretty much closing out the pannys and don't know if they will be carrying them anymore. If I can find an extra 2K worth of change in my couch cushions or under the bed, I might just pick one up and put my toshiba 44" in the bedroom.

Oh, and BTW, totally offtopic, but for those who said pricing around xmas was as low as it would get because of the competition, I say hogwash!! The toshiba 52" is going as low as 1699.00 in more than one store around here. The sammy 5063 is below 1600.00 in more than one place. There are many more examples I've seen of TVs being as much as 1000.00 less now than they were during their lowest in the xmas sale season. Basically, xmas "sales" are nothing of the sort. Even the panny that no one was willing to discount is now almost 1000.00 lower than just 2 months ago. Oh, same with the dilas. Under 2K.

(If I've been too specific on prices, my apologies, but I purposely did not mention store names to try and stay within the guidelines)

Originally posted by povmec
It happens to me once in a while, since I bought this TV (October 2004). I'm not sure what the problem is, since I cannot reproduce it at will, and since powering on and off fix the problem, I never bother to have it inspected. It really happens randomly. Last week it happened twice, but before these two events, it had not happened for months.

If anybody has any hint about why this happens, I would like to hear about it too.

So am I to understand that this random "black out" problem has only happened on 3 different units and that I've had 2 of them ? Nobody else has ever had their unit black out and then have the problem remedied by a power cycle ? This seems very strange to me.

Originally posted by puckcoach3
So am I to understand that this random "black out" problem has only happened on 3 different units and that I've had 2 of them ? Nobody else has ever had their unit black out and then have the problem remedied by a power cycle ? This seems very strange to me.

Just curious, what's the manufacturing date/plant etc on your set?

Sam I Am

lostcause,
I'm very happy with the Panny, and that sounds like a super price they are offering. To find any negatives I really have to nit-pick, but there are a few very minor problems.

1) I did not get the quietest fan, but I decided to live with it rather than go thru the hassle of exchanging the set. I usually don't notice it and it has pretty much become background noise even at low volumes but I can still hear it if I try with the volume at 10 or so. Any louder than that, and I really can't hear it. Some others have gotten quieter fans.

2) PQ is fantastic. Only strange thing I have noticed is that the picture seems to act strange on ties. Yes, people wearing ties! Someone can probably tell me what that effect is. It looks like flickering, when the position of the tie slightly shifts on the screen. I think this is probably an effect of DLP's in general.

3) I also see rainbows, but they aren't very bothersome to me. I guess I somehow trained myself how to watch so as not to see them. I try to keep my gaze focused on the screen, and then I really see very few. I watch a lot of TV in the dark too, so I'd say the rainbows on this set must be better than on other DLP's. In the store, for example, I can see them on the Mits DLP's but not on the Panny, when watching the same feed.

Overall, I think it's a *really* great set, which is the same opinion I had before I bought it.

Originally posted by sammm
Just curious, what's the manufacturing date/plant etc on your set?

Sam I Am

October 2004

DLP Dave - one of the only rainbows I've seen was on Tubby Smith's tie during the elite 8 playoff. It was a black and white pattern and it seemed like there must've been some trouble with the color wheel trying to resolve it. I saw Coach K's suitjacket do the same thing, and it was a very close black and white pattern, like the thinnest part of a test pattern. All on SD, but I saw it once on HD too. Also, a free throw line came up as a rainbow.

Originally posted by hb2
I have had my set for almost 3 weeks now. I previously tried the Hitachi 50VS810 (green clouds), the Mitsu 52725 (loud, bulky), and Toshiba 52” DLP (PQ lacking, general build quality questionable). I am about 98% happy with my Panny and I do not intend to trade it for anything else, but the false contouring (FC) bugs me, and although I’ve asked the question(s) before, I’ll ask again—is this the TV or is it the source?? Reviews I read said it only happened at 480p or less, but I see it in 720p and 1081I, also. The FC that is in the out of focus portions of the picture isn’t a big deal to me, but when it happens on a face, it really bugs me. Despite getting a pretty good deal on the TV, I still feel like I paid too much to see this. Also, I saw my first rainbow last night (dammit), but I don’t think it’s too big of a deal to be a dealbreaker.

I have a comcast cable HD box, and would be interested to hear if anyone who has moved to Voom thinks the PQ is better and the FC less severe with one or the other. Thanks.

All I can say is that before returning the set for other reasons, I noticed a considerable amount of color banding in clouds, darker colors, and other mono toned backgrounds. It looks like the light engine is "creating" the color instead of relying on the feed. I have not seen anything similar on my LCD RPTV. I noticed it on 1080i also. Good luck.

Originally posted by fraDcat
I just realized that reading my posts it might come off that the TV doesn't have a nice picture. When it comes to HD the picture can be excellent(depends on the show even for HD it seems). On DVD's the picture is really good. Some of the DVD's looked better than others of course. And for regular sat TV channels the picture is OK. Some are pretty bad and a few are actually pretty darn good.

My main gripe with the Tv is I just can't seem to get the colors right. I can get really close but flesh tones will have a slightly redish tint or if I get that out I get a very slight greenish tint. The greenish tint is very slight but I still notice it at times in some flesh tones and on a blonde's hair occasionally.

This may be nit picking but I've got an Infocus 4805 DLP projector here and can compare the colors and the 4805 is better(used DVE to calibrate both). It doesn't have this problem. I may have to just get the set ISF'd so everything is set right.

At this price point though I really expected to be able to get the colors pretty much dead nuts on and also to have separate settings per input. Other than these 2 things I can't really say anything bad about the TV. I don't hear the fan(I can if I stick my head next to the TV), my over scan is a little under 5%, picture is square with no tilt.

I see rainbows but they aren't bothering me to much but they do bother me some. My eyes do get a little tired/sore but I'm going to try to give it a few more days to see if I adjust to it. If they don't the TV will most likely go back but I'm not sure if it will even be worth trying another DLP.

FraDcat,

Your story sounds like mine. I did a review on page 78. Sounds a lot like your problems. I could not train myself to ignore the rainbows, and the eye strain was the last straw for me. I needed to enjoy the set. Good luck to you. My guess is that you will end up doing what I did...returning it. I had to move away from the DLP format and move to LCD to solve the problem.

wls-

Banding: I see the same false-color banding in HDTV, most often in low-contrast gradiant colors (like the background in under-water shots) or sunsets. I can't help thinking this is some kind of round-off error or other dumb software bug, since in higher-contrast scenes the colors are smooth and true. It doesn't really bother me, but I thought I'd report it.

Also, I cannot get the slightly over-intense reds out of the skintones, but it's not always a problem, (mostly low-contrast shots again) and it really only bothers me, not my family. I've cut the color settings down, but always push them back toward center again, since I like punchy colors. Back in this thread, there's talk about the service menu color settings , (why arent those settings avail in the regular menu??) maybe I'll get brave and do some tweeking there.

I did notice that Halo2 is MUCH better looking in "cinema" mode, the darkness is rendered much clearer and brighter for some reason. (easier to see)

I have noticed a funny thing: I've got a bit of ringing in my ears (blame Led Zepplin for that) and after exteded viewing, even at low volumes, my ears start ringing, at almost an uncomfortable level. This is not due to the soundtrack, and I wonder if I'm picking up an inaudible signal (color wheel bearings??) This only happens when the TV is on, and fades away after it's turned off. Anyone else?

BTW: I watched Carolina Vrs Ill last night for the championship. The first half in HD on my Panny, then I crept into bed and watched the last 20 mins on a standard-def channel. Holy commercials, Batman! I never noticed how many game interruptions there were, how much stupid commentary, and how many commercials there are in SD!!!! Watching in HD was purely about the game.
I've noticed that the HD shows I've caught (PBSHD, InHD, DiscoveryHD, etc) are mostly commercial free, and it's MILES better than the almost constant interruptions we've gotten used to in SD programming.

Derek,
I don't think the rainbows you are seeing are the rainbows everyone is talking about. I think you must not see them at all. I, too, have seen the rainbow colored ties and occasionally on something like a free throw line, as you say. I think this is usually a problem in the source. Rainbows particular to DLP's, I would describe as a flash of rainbow colored light which appears to come out of the screen.

Funny, I don't notice the problem with color banding which wsorensen and others are describing on my set at all. I paid careful attention to a program in HD which was filmed at Yellowstone Park. The smoke and clouds were pretty much constant due to the geysers and so on, but I never saw anything amiss.

I also couldn't get the colors perfect using DVE, but then again I don't really know what I am doing, and I don't find the instructions on the DVD that helpful. Blue is very close to perfect, red and green less so. I'm sure I could get it perfect or near perfect if I had it ISF'ed, but it is fantastic as it is.

I don't see color banding either. I think I know what clay faces are though... only bad on SD so far.

DLP Dave,
I wonder if you aren't seeing the color banding b/c you have Voom. I mostly see it on HD local channels from Comcast and I wonder if it has something to do with the compression of the signal. Seems like I recall you saying you had cable, DirectTV and Voom. Have you seen banding with cable?

Derek -

I'll agree with the rainbow comments above. I don't think what you are seeing is what most people are saying are rainbows. It was a week or two before I started seeing rainbows on my DLP. Now, I can see them most any time I wish but they don't bother at all. It's not something that happens if I'm sitting in my chair watching a program. Usually if I'm moving around, playing with my dog, or doing something else and the TV is just running.

The rainbows will appear as a pattern. They can be big or small, but it's normally a little strip of the colors you'll see. It's not something you can focus on once you see it. It generally just flashes for an instant as your eye is moving. It can be any size or anywhere on the screen. It's not shaped like the picture on the screen but rather a rectangle with repeating colors. It's there for just an instant and if you try and focus on it, they disappear. (this has been my experience thus far. I'm guessing others might have different experiences.)

To be honest, if I didn't know about rainbows and how it happens, I don't know that I would even notice. I'd probably still see them, but I wouldn't think it's because of the tv as much as my eyes and my crazy brain.

hb2,

No, I just have Dish Network. For whatever reason, I haven't seen the color banding at all.

Ok, I need some help here from someone who has this DLP TV and who has the DVE disc. But first, my problem.

I have this TV and I have some picture problems. The greys are not true grey, but have a reddish or greenish tint. This causes a red halo in low contrast scenes. This may also be the cause of the false contouring some people see. I've already had it serviced, but the technician's response was very poor. He said that it looked the same as another PT-50DL54 they had in the shop, so there was nothing wrong. Or maybe it had the same problem as well? Duh.

Anyway, could someone take a look at the DVE reverse grey ramps for me (title 12, chapter 14) and compare to mine? I've attached a picture of the problem.

Thanks!

About the color banding - I'm guessing it's the source. I don't have this set yet (hopefully within the month), but I do experience color banding with my digital cable channels. A while back, I was seeing color banding in an underwater scene of Hunt For Red October on cable, so I popped in the DVD and went to the same scene. The picture was perfect on the DVD.

Originally posted by bobapett
About the color banding - I'm guessing it's the source. I don't have this set yet (hopefully within the month), but I do experience color banding with my digital cable channels. A while back, I was seeing color banding in an underwater scene of Hunt For Red October on cable, so I popped in the DVD and went to the same scene. The picture was perfect on the DVD.

Definitely not the source. I tried the DVD on a different TV/player and it looked correct. I then tried that same DVD player, and the problem appears. It is also visible in both analogue and digital cable, as well as VHS and XBox, all from different inputs. I have not tried HDMI yet however.

I'm getting it serviced (again) by a different company. If they can't do anything, then I guess I will have to get a different brand, since it would then appear that the Panasonic DLPs have a significant design defect that can't be repaired.

Has anyone had any "lag" issues with this set? When playing video games I mean. Some dlp sets have them and some don't. Hoping that this dosent as I am very interested in this TV.

I haven't noticed any lag problems with Nintendo GameCube games. It's pretty much just Samsung's which have the lag problem, AFAIK.

Thanks for your reply dave, been looking into a new TV for the past 2 weeks and its gonna be primarily used for gaming, movies and HDTV. Was getting so confused and changing opinions left and right.

Was looking into the Mits 52525, then the Tosh 52HM84, then I finally came upon this thread and been overall very good reviews. Seen the last 2 sets but I'm gonna check this one out hopefully today at a local magnolia. Called and said they had it, and warranty includes bulb life which surprised me, so I hope I'm impressed!

Originally posted by DLP-Dave
I haven't noticed any lag problems with Nintendo GameCube games. It's pretty much just Samsung's which have the lag problem, AFAIK.

nope no lag with xbox, ps2, or gamecube. :)

Originally posted by Grimoire
I'm getting it serviced (again) by a different company. If they can't do anything, then I guess I will have to get a different brand, since it would then appear that the Panasonic DLPs have a significant design defect that can't be repaired.
New service company showed up, this time with an actual technician in tow, instead of just a couple of dofuses with a truck like the last company. He brought his own signal generator. He went through a multitude of test signals, and no problem. He didn't seem to have a grey ramp pattern though, only grey bars which doesn't show the problem. He mentioned he might have to take my DVE disc with him, as that was the only source that the problem was really, really obvious. Then, he tried one more pattern, and poof, there it was. So, TV is in the shop again.

So, does no one else have this problem? Am I the only one who has it, or notices it?

Can someone PLEASE list factory default for SERVIVE MENU??
I really need to know what is default value for 480i,480p,720p....
I think someone messed with SERVICE MENU on this tv...(I got display model..)Tv seems to push a lot of red(pink??)
Manufacture date for this tv is Oct 2004.
Please help!!!!!
Thank you

MrWestSide,
I have owned all three of the TVs you mentioned. Of the 3, I decided to keep the Panasonic. I would not recommend the Toshiba, as it seems cheaply built to me, and the SD channels look terrible as compared to the Mitsu or Panasonic. You are also very limited with inputs on this TV. The Mitsu has great hookups and the PQ is excellent, but they are generally the loudest of the DLPs and there is no form factor—if that matters to you. My only complaint with the Panasonic is that is seems to have more color banding issues than I remember seeing with the other 2 sets. But I am hoping that it has more to do with the source than with the TV. Good luck.

I'm from Ontario, have Panny PT50DL54. Nobody in Canada is willing to supply a "SERVICE MANUAL" for this TV. Panasonic Canada only supplies it to the service centres.

Any idea where to get one or download it from?

Please reply to: deadlyshadow@direcway.com or to this thread...

thankx

joska51

Thanks to this great thread on this TV and after tons of research on the others I decided to pick this one up, will be delivered tomorrow so I cant wait!

I have had the PT60DL54 for about 6 weeks now and I am very pleased with it. I did the service menu adjustments that Topp Robertson suggested earlier in this thread and borrowed the AVIA disk from my dealer to tweek it further. When I did the AVIA colour filter screen my greens and blues were right on but my red was somewhere in the +10 to +15% range.

When I watch Star Wars Attack of the Clones I notice that scenes with red in them seem to "jitter"(when they are in Emperor Palpadine's office with its red walls and carpet). In fact the opening scene on the AVIA disk, when the two guys are sitting in a living room with red curtains causes the same problem. This leads me to believe that my +10 to +15% reading on the red needs to be set closer to 0%.

I have been in the service menu and I see the following:

720p (my DVD player is the Panny S97 and it is upconverting to 720p)

Mode DW Just 4:3 Zoom
MTS MTSIN Sepal Sepah
Clock Clock
Video Color B-Y_G Tint R-Y_A
Bright Cont

Adv Y-G PR-G PB-G
Y-OS PR-OS PB-OS WB
H-POS V-POS CW-I

Other DDP JPEG

EEP Area IN>EX EX>IN

I know that the White Balance was WB and I set it to 01 (reddish) as per Topp's recommendation.

I have also read in other threads that a DVD player uses the SD color matrix and my TV may be producing a color error because when it sees 720p it outmatically goes to the HD color matrix. Apparently this causes problems with too much green, which I don't seem to have.

So this leads me to three questions:

1. If I have too much red, (assuming the White Balance setting isn't causing it all) which of those sections in the service menu controls red and what do I do to tone it down?

2. Does anyone know if the S97 converts from the SD matrix to the HD matrix when it is upconverting to 720p and 1080i?

3. If I make adjustments here, am I making adjustments to all of the video inputs and all of the formats (480i/p, 720p and 1080i)? Or put another way, is this part of the service menu the core of the TV that controls everything else and all adjustments here effect everything?

Any feedback you guys can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Greetings -

New forum member here and a newcomer to HDTV...so please forgive all stupid questions.

I've been lurking for a while trying to decide which HDTV to buy. Once I decided to go DLP I started looking hard at the Samsungs, then I discovered this thread. After reading tons of reviews and comments (mostly in this thread) I settled on the PT-50DL54. My initial experience with this set has not been fantastic, but not horrible either; I will reserve judgement until I get everything else up to speed...more on this in a sec.

I am currently using my old regular SD (analog?) cable feed with this set and the picture looks grainy / pixilated, this does not surprise me as I figured an HD set would amplify all the noise regular SD sets ignore or cannot display. I was watching "SuperVolcano" on DSCV and the picture looked dark, green, and grainy. I tried adjusting the set per Topp Robertson's suggested settings but it still looked kind of green. Then I watched a different channel and the blonde had green highlights...what's up with that?

Tried watching a movie on my old DVD player and was disappointed but not surprised. I have not upgraded my DVD player yet and "Sideways" was dark and grainy...but didn't appear as green. I used to have this old set connected via S-Video but switched to Component for this test.

Fan noise is not an issue, I can hear it but only if I mute the volume and listen for it. RBE is there for me but I am hoping that my brain will learn to filter that out…fingers crossed.

Here is my current setup, followed by my wish list and questions:

Panasonic PT-50DL54
Sony DVD Player DVP-S550D
Technics Receiver SA-DX1040
Component Cables RCA DT6DC

I want to go HD to take advantage of my new TV's capabilities.
I would like to keep channels like DSCV, HST, TLC, Sci-Fi
I would also like the option of receiving OTA HD
I would like to record and burn programs to DVD

Questions:

Is the green tint normal and how can I adjust to get rid of it?

Where do I find the Service Menu?

Where can I get the Avia disc?

Is digital component the way to go? Are the RCA cables I picked up good enough? I honestly cannot bring myself to spend a gazillion dollars on Monster, a more reasonably priced option would be appreciated.

Should I buy my own HR Tuner? If so, is the LG LST-4200A the one to get?

What should I look for an a Service Provider? I currently have basic cable but can go with Comcast, SureWest, Dish, DirectTV, and OTA with same basic SD cable.

What DVR should I go with? I read up on the Panny DMR-E85H and was quite impressed, that is until I started reading all the negative posts about this unit locking up. Too bad, I had a line on one for $349 and it sounds sweet…basically free TiVo.

My old Technics receiver seems fine for now, I have optical inputs for DVD, TV, and Aux…supports 5.1 Digital Dolby and DTS…but I am always open to suggestions.

Thanks much!

Someone else a few pages back mentioned a green tint to everything, and it ended up being a color wheel problem. My set does not have a green tint, and I don't recall any others mentioning it either.

However, you don't seem to have a "fan" noise problem, which usually goes along with a color wheel problem, so I am not sure.

Thanks DLP-Dave,

I'm not freaking out yet, I would like to get the Avia disc, replace the old non-progressive scan DVD player, and get some sort of HD feed before I panic.

Regarding that Service Menu question...I seem to recall some folks changing the menu color, or viewing what kind of input they are receiving, I don't see these options and am guessing I'm either missing the obvious or some sort of hidden menu.

I have Dish Network and it looks great with HD, and even very good with SD. I can't remember how to get into the service menu, but if you scan back through the thread, you'll find it.

jcs67stang,

Try asking the dealer you bought the TV from if they have a copy of Avia, my dealer had a couple of disks that they loan out to people who have bought sets from them.

The service menu is accessed as follows:

Press the "Recall" button on the remote while pressing the Vol- button on the TV for about 3 seconds. Once you are in hit the power button on the remote to go to teh second level. When I was done in the second level I pressed OK on the remote and it brought me back one level and then I hit Vol- on the TV while pressing OK on the remote.

Before you do all of that make sure you write down all of your settings for all of your various inputs because I found that they defaulted back to factory settings.

I use satellite (Bell Expressvu) and the SD channels are very clear. The satellite box is hooked up with component cables and my DVD is hooked up with HDMI and it looks good. The best picture comes from the HD channels that the satellite provider sends. I wish that they would devote one channel to sending out test patterns like those on Avia or DVE so you didn't have to worry about whether the settings in your DVD player were optimal.

Good luck with your set. With the appropriate sources I think you are going to love it.

Mike

Originally posted by Mr Paw
jcs67stang,
I use satellite (Bell Expressvu) and the SD channels are very clear. The satellite box is hooked up with component cables and my DVD is hooked up with HDMI and it looks good. The best picture comes from the HD channels that the satellite provider sends.
Mike

Hi Mike,

I also use Bell, with the 6100 hi def receiver connected via HDMI cable. The Panasonic TV has native 720p. I find that the best hi def sharpness comes from networks transmitting 720p. For networks transmitting 1080i, I find a noticeable improvement in sharpness if I let the Panasonic TV convert to 720p instead of letting the Bell receiver convert to 720p. I think the conversion circuits in the Panasonic are better than the conversion circuits in the Bell receiver. For networks transmitting 720p (ABC, FOX, MC), I use the Bell receiver set up menu and set the receiver to output 720p. Hence, the receiver does no conversion and conversion is not needed. For networks transmitting 1080i (CBS, NBC, PBS, WBN), I use the Bell receiver set up menu and set the receiver to output 1080i. Again, the receiver does no conversion and this forces the Panasonic to convert to 720p.
I also have the sharpness setting on my TV set to max. Give all this a try and let us know what you think.

Best,

Les

Hello, I'm new to the forumn and i'm almost ready to buy my first Big Screen DLP. I've been looking at the Panasonic PT-50DL54 at my local Sam's Club for 2400 dollars and I did not know if it was a good deal? Any suggestions would be helpfull.

Rog

Can anyone please post powerstrip setting for 1:1 mapping with no overscan?

Rognish,
I'm never sure what is OK to say on this forum with respect to pricing, so I'll be someone vague ... You can do better than $2400. If you have an Ultimate Electronics near you you can definitely shave at least several hundie off that. Your problem now, however, might be that you'll have a hard time finding a new one b/c they have been on closeout for while. Good luck.

Originally posted by hb2
Rognish,
You can do better than $2400. If you have an Ultimate Electronics near you you can definitely shave at least several hundie off that. Your problem now, however, might be that you'll have a hard time finding a new one b/c they have been on closeout for while.

Ultimate/Soundtrack has been out of them for a few weeks now. I'm not sure I would buy from them these days anyways seeing that they are very close to bankruptcy, if not already in BK. When they closed them out, I believe they were selling for $2300 -- not too far from Sam's price.

Originally posted by Rognish
Hello, I'm new to the forumn and i'm almost ready to buy my first Big Screen DLP. I've been looking at the Panasonic PT-50DL54 at my local Sam's Club for 2400 dollars and I did not know if it was a good deal? Any suggestions would be helpfull.

Rog

i got mine from sam's club. :)

Originally posted by oneeyejack7
i got mine from sam's club. :)
me too, Sam's Club. When I purchased mine, the store only had three left; looks like supply is rapidly dwindling.

Greetings,

This morning we were watching a show on our PT-50DL54 and it struck me that the screen (in 4:3 mode) didn't look quite right. I broke out the tape measure and measured the distance from each corner of the 4:3 to the inside corner of the cabinet...where the cabinet ends and the screen begins. Here are my results:

Upper Left - 5 3/4" Upper Right - 6"
Lower Left - 5 1/2" Lower Right - 5 3/4"

Then, just to make sure it wasn't the cabinet that was making the picture appear off, I measured the picture from left to right, both top and bottom. Here are those results:

Top measurement - 31 1/2"
Bottom measurement - 32"

There is definately some keystone going on here. How do I adjust this?

Thanks,
JC

Originally posted by jcs67stang
me too, Sam's Club. When I purchased mine, the store only had three left; looks like supply is rapidly dwindling.

I also just purchased the set from Sams Club. I got the last boxed set. The only one left is the display model. It works great. No problems whatever. No geometry problem or color inaccuracies.

I purchased the matching stand from CircuitCity.com. It is on sale for $300.00.

The matching stand is for the LCD version but the LCD stand is identical to the DLP case and is a perfect fit.


5/1/05 - The price of the stand mentioned above has been reduced to $240.00. I just got a $66.00 refund (110% of the difference).

Thanks zunguri!:D :D :D

Okay, I've seen info on Panasonics new line of plasmas and on their new LCD RPs. But I can't recall seeing anything on their 2005 DLPs. Can anyone point me to more info? Anyone know if they will be going to speakers being underneath the display, as they are doing with their new LCD RP line?

i've asked this before but never got a response, I'm curious on how the 1yr bulb warranty from Panasonic works and if anyone has ever had to use it. I'm just wondering as personally I hope to not have to worry about this for a long time but if it does happen (either from panasonic and/or from my extended 2yr warranty) I'm wondering how long it takes to get a bulb and the procedure a person must go through (hate to be without tv for too long)...

Originally posted by Digitalden
I have the same problem as Pale. When I pull the plug on the UPS everything stays up but the TV . It cuts off. IM using a Belkin F6C1500-TW-RK 1500 VA UPS.

I am also having this problem, has anyone out there actually gotten their TV to stay on when the power drops? Seems like i might have waisted money on my UPS (650VA), well maybe not since it will keep my tivo on and my d* tuner on.. but i got it for my tv! (I have also tried it with just the TV attached and still nothing)... it is interesting because if i try to turn the TV on when the power is cut to the UPS the tv will actually try to turn on but then just shut right off...

Originally posted by puckcoach3
Ultimate/Soundtrack has been out of them for a few weeks now. I'm not sure I would buy from them these days anyways seeing that they are very close to bankruptcy, if not already in BK. When they closed them out, I believe they were selling for $2300 -- not too far from Sam's price.

I just stopped by the last remaining UE store this past weekend (in my area). Everything is currently at 10% off, but if it ends up being similar to another UE closing last month, that percentage will increase each week. This particular store had the set in stock at less than $2300. I spent quite a bit of time looking at it, and can finally understand DLP-Dave's ravings about the thing. Very nice set. Much nicer than the Samsungs IMO.

Originally posted by NVboy
I just stopped by the last remaining UE store this past weekend (in my area). Everything is currently at 10% off, but if it ends up being similar to another UE closing last month, that percentage will increase each week. This particular store had the set in stock at less than $2300. I spent quite a bit of time looking at it, and can finally understand DLP-Dave's ravings about the thing. Very nice set. Much nicer than the Samsungs IMO.

So am I to understand that they actually had some of these in stock ? Interesting ... When I was there a couple weeks ago, the floor unit was gone and the salesman said that they were discontinued and had negative inventory in the warehouse.

Originally posted by batlin27
I am also having this problem, has anyone out there actually gotten their TV to stay on when the power drops? Seems like i might have waisted money on my UPS (650VA), well maybe not since it will keep my tivo on and my d* tuner on.. but i got it for my tv! (I have also tried it with just the TV attached and still nothing)... it is interesting because if i try to turn the TV on when the power is cut to the UPS the tv will actually try to turn on but then just shut right off...


This TV is picky about the sine wave. You have to use a UPS that outputs a true sine wave, instead of the simulated sine wave's that most computer UPS's use. The APC SmartUPS line uses a true sine wave. I am using a 700VA model and can pull the plug from the wall and the TV stays on. I originally tried a Belkin and an Energizer (both over 800VA), and neither would work with the TV.

Originally posted by puckcoach3
So am I to understand that they actually had some of these in stock ? Interesting ... When I was there a couple weeks ago, the floor unit was gone and the salesman said that they were discontinued and had negative inventory in the warehouse.

Both the floor unit & inventory (he only they had "some" in stock, which could mean anything). This was at the 1 remaining Salt Lake City store. 10% off isn't really worth it for me, but it seems like it's worth it to a lot of people. I don't think I've ever seen so many customers in that store, even around the holidays.

Originally posted by lemonsieur
This TV is picky about the sine wave. You have to use a UPS that outputs a true sine wave, instead of the simulated sine wave's that most computer UPS's use. The APC SmartUPS line uses a true sine wave. I am using a 700VA model and can pull the plug from the wall and the TV stays on. I originally tried a Belkin and an Energizer (both over 800VA), and neither would work with the TV.

Wow, but the smartUPS is SO much more expensive then the Reg... ugh...

Originally posted by batlin27
Wow, but the smartUPS is SO much more expensive then the Reg... ugh...

I got a refurbed one for a much lower price! $89 for the 700VA model.
refurbups dot com

Originally posted by jcs67stang
Greetings,

This morning we were watching a show on our PT-50DL54 and it struck me that the screen (in 4:3 mode) didn't look quite right. I broke out the tape measure and measured the distance from each corner of the 4:3 to the inside corner of the cabinet...where the cabinet ends and the screen begins. Here are my results:

Upper Left - 5 3/4" Upper Right - 6"
Lower Left - 5 1/2" Lower Right - 5 3/4"

Then, just to make sure it wasn't the cabinet that was making the picture appear off, I measured the picture from left to right, both top and bottom. Here are those results:

Top measurement - 31 1/2"
Bottom measurement - 32"

There is definately some keystone going on here. How do I adjust this?

Thanks,
JC

Has anyone had a service call to correct the 4:3 keystone and/or a slight clockwise tilt in 16:9? From what I read, this is a mechanical adjustment and there is nothing in the service menu.

Originally posted by WatsonNew
Has anyone had a service call to correct the 4:3 keystone and/or a slight clockwise tilt in 16:9? From what I read, this is a mechanical adjustment and there is nothing in the service menu.

I called Panasonic yesterday and they said the same thing...confirming what you've read. I have a technician coming to my house Friday to perform the adjustment, and to calibrate the set while he's at it. I have not noticed any tilt in 16:9.

For what it's worth, I was very pleased with Panasonic's Service Dept / Helpdesk, they seemed knowledgeable and didn't give me a hard time; all I need for the service call is my original sales receipt.

Stupid user question #437 ... What is overscanning?

JC

I bought a 50DL54 a few days ago. So far I have had it "black out" the picture once. Getting it to recover required power-cycling the unit.

I am speculating here, but I would not be surprised if there is a implementation defect (aka "bug") involved in some firmware or ASIC code that hangs up the DMD control processing under certain conditions. The blackout happened to me shortly after fast-forwarding on a video tape. I also noticed that sometimes fast-forwarding yields few to no image updates on the screen. Maybe there are some issues tracking a poor quality signal coming from a VHS VCR during fast-forwarding? Maybe these can also hang the DMD control under some circumstances?

The manufacturing date on my set is November 2004.

Also, I have noticed the fan is very loud. I didn't notice this in the store at all, even with the volume turned all the way down there. There must be a lot more ambient noise in a store environment.

I have yet to go through any more tuning/calibration than doing the "THX Optimizer" setup on "Finding Nemo". Right now I would say the colors look a little strange. I'm going to try to find the suggested settings (this is a very long thread!) from Topp Robertson and see how they work.

Originally posted by WatsonNew
Has anyone had a service call to correct the 4:3 keystone and/or a slight clockwise tilt in 16:9? From what I read, this is a mechanical adjustment and there is nothing in the service menu.

Bad news folks. The service tech came out to my house this morning and looked at my set. His diagnosis was the DMD, and he said there is no mechanical adjustment for keystone in 4:3, there is one for tilt, but not for keystone.

I don't know...I might have to reconsider the Sammy. Bummer :(

JC

Originally posted by craigsw858
I bought a 50DL54 a few days ago. So far I have had it "black out" the picture once. Getting it to recover required power-cycling the unit.

I am speculating here, but I would not be surprised if there is a implementation defect (aka "bug") involved in some firmware or ASIC code that hangs up the DMD control processing under certain conditions. The blackout happened to me shortly after fast-forwarding on a video tape. I also noticed that sometimes fast-forwarding yields few to no image updates on the screen. Maybe there are some issues tracking a poor quality signal coming from a VHS VCR during fast-forwarding? Maybe these can also hang the DMD control under some circumstances?

The manufacturing date on my set is November 2004.

Also, I have noticed the fan is very loud. I didn't notice this in the store at all, even with the volume turned all the way down there. There must be a lot more ambient noise in a store environment.

I have yet to go through any more tuning/calibration than doing the "THX Optimizer" setup on "Finding Nemo". Right now I would say the colors look a little strange. I'm going to try to find the suggested settings (this is a very long thread!) from Topp Robertson and see how they work.

I reported the "random black out" a few weeks back and only heard back from one other AVs Member that had the same issue. I've had my set for about a month now and it's happened 4 times total -- all solved by a power cycle. It happened on 3 different inputs (S-Video, RCA Video1 and the standard cable input) so I question your VCR hypothesis. I wanted to swap it out but Soundtrack was out of them. I considered ditching it but I liked the TV too much and it fits the space perfectly.

I have since contacted a local Panasonic service company that came out and looked at it the other day. They said they spoke with Panasonic and needed to order a new chassis -- I'm not sure what that encompasses but it seems like it would be most of the set to me. It will take a couple weeks for the new chassis to arrive at which time the service company will have to take my set to their shop.

I'll keep you updated as I get more info. I'd be interested in others that have had this issue dealt with by a method other than a swap.

Hi, Panny DLP gurus.

A local AV store (Anderson's) has a floor-model Panny 50DL54.

The case looks pristine, and we've negotiated the following deal for about $2,500, including tax:

5-year extended (in-home) warranty
3-year bulb warranty
Free delivery

With the warranty protection and free delivery, this seems to me to beat all the other deals out there by something on the order of $800.

Is there anything I'm overlooking? Can someone tell me why I shouldn't do this deal?

Thanks for any opinions. I always learn tons from you guys during my infrequent lurkings.

z

zunguri,
$2500 for that sounds pretty reasonable. since you are buying the extended warranty (cash cow for store) and the unit is a floor model, you might as well see if they will knock off another couple hundred, though, in my opinion. if not, then you still got a decent deal.

good luck.

Hi, hb2. Thanks for your thoughts!

I actually did get him to throw in the lamp warranty for free (it should have been another $99); it's a separate warranty from the 5-year warranty on the set, which covers everything *but* the bulb.

Of course, as you say, the lower can you drive them, the better. :-)

Also, **a note to Paul Go**

Paul: I just PM'ed you a message letting you know that Circuit City is offering the 50LC14C stand you bought for $60 less than you say you paid. Since you bought it recently, you might want to see if they'll credit you for the price drop.

z

Hi, I've been reading around on this forum for quite awhile now, but finally decided to register. Just wanted to say hi, and show some pics of my setup with the Panny 60dl54.

http://gallery.avsforum.com/data/503/749107701.JPG

http://gallery.avsforum.com/data/503/749107703.JPG

http://gallery.avsforum.com/data/506/749107704.JPG

Originally posted by joska51
I'm from Ontario, have Panny PT50DL54. Nobody in Canada is willing to supply a "SERVICE MANUAL" for this TV. Panasonic Canada only supplies it to the service centres.
Any idea where to get one or download it from?
joska51 You will have to buy it from a parts distributor in the US though one would think there should be some in Canada.

Try Herman Electronics from Florida. Be sure you order a SERVICE manual, NOT a owners manual.

Hey folks, I'm coming back to this thread after having the set for about 6 months. I do have a couple things to report/ask about my PT50DL54:

-My bulb blew out after approximately 5 months. A friend who bought a 60" had his go after a month. Surprising, but replacements were supplied in a couple days.

-One thing I have noticed, and its driving me nuts... I wanted to ask here before I called Panasonic:

When I watch DVDs on my LG DVD player, some DVDs have a white flashing at the very top edge of the screen. It kind of looks like the light is "bleeding" through or the projector is just not hitting the screen properly. This problem was very obvious just before my bulb blew. Obvious that it was almost a half inch wide and strobing at the middle... When I replaced the bulb, it seemed not as visible... Now I've noticed it again. I also noticed this problem watching a couple Divx rips on my Xbox.

This problem does not manifest itself while using my PC, SD satellite TV or any Xbox games. It is only present when I watch movies (which is pretty much all that we do). I haven't narrowed down the list of titles where it is bad, but I will soon, as I fear I may need to call Panasonic.

I DID adjust the Vertical position using DVE's test pattern and the service menu. I have not touched any other service menu settings (I'm totally paranoid about ruining a TV I paid a lot of $$$ for). I DO NOT notice this problem on my friends 60" Panny.

Is this a problems I should get examined? Or could it be due to me adjusting the V-Pos? I'd like to think it is the former... And if its going to burn out another bulb in 5 months, I'd like to take care of it now while I'm still under Pannyt manufacturer's warranty. Panny in Mississauga has been very friendly and helpful so far.

joska51,

I was successful in getting a pdf copy of the service manual for the PT50/60DL54 from a place called ManualZone. I just used Google and found them.

Is there anything in particular you are looking for? I found it mostly contains pictures of the printed circuit boards and instructions for taking it apart and reassembling it. There are some procedures for picture adjustments and the default settings are also listed.

I also ordered a smaller supplement to the service manual. I don't know what is in it yet but I am hoping it has more details on how to make adjustments to the colors. (my set is about 15% too high in the red department, according to the AVIA disc.)

Anyhow if you have any questions try me first if you like.

Mike

Originally posted by puckcoach3
I reported the "random black out" a few weeks back and only heard back from one other AVs Member that had the same issue. I've had my set for about a month now and it's happened 4 times total -- all solved by a power cycle. It happened on 3 different inputs (S-Video, RCA Video1 and the standard cable input) so I question your VCR hypothesis. I wanted to swap it out but Soundtrack was out of them. I considered ditching it but I liked the TV too much and it fits the space perfectly.

I have since contacted a local Panasonic service company that came out and looked at it the other day. They said they spoke with Panasonic and needed to order a new chassis -- I'm not sure what that encompasses but it seems like it would be most of the set to me. It will take a couple weeks for the new chassis to arrive at which time the service company will have to take my set to their shop.

I'll keep you updated as I get more info. I'd be interested in others that have had this issue dealt with by a method other than a swap.

My 60" (6 mo old) started blacking out Fri and again Sun . Reboot by unpluging unit seems to be my only cure.

Sorry for double post

Originally posted by RAE
My 60" (6 mo old) started blacking out Fri and again Sun . Reboot by unpluging unit seems to be my only cure.

Yours sounds more severe than mine. A simple power cycle has always done the trick with mine as well as the other set's that I heard about with this problem.

Tried the power cycle and it works if I wait for a few min before power up. I also have a HDMI input issue. Vid works fine but approx 10 min after use audio produces loud distortion and then silence.

Well into week 3 of my panasonic...
no problems at all
the manufacture date on my set is nov '04

so far only enjoyment
and mine is then 60" DLP

60" DLP? I didn't think Panasonic made a 60" DLP. It's not on their US website, but after looking at the Canadian one, I see it listed. Why isn't the 60" available in the US?

Originally posted by puckcoach3
I reported the "random black out" a few weeks back and only heard back from one other AVs Member that had the same issue. I've had my set for about a month now and it's happened 4 times total -- all solved by a power cycle. It happened on 3 different inputs (S-Video, RCA Video1 and the standard cable input) so I question your VCR hypothesis. I wanted to swap it out but Soundtrack was out of them. I considered ditching it but I liked the TV too much and it fits the space perfectly.

I have since contacted a local Panasonic service company that came out and looked at it the other day. They said they spoke with Panasonic and needed to order a new chassis -- I'm not sure what that encompasses but it seems like it would be most of the set to me. It will take a couple weeks for the new chassis to arrive at which time the service company will have to take my set to their shop.

I'll keep you updated as I get more info. I'd be interested in others that have had this issue dealt with by a method other than a swap.

I too have this problem or something like it.. I am nervous about calling panasonic because it is such a random thing i dont think i could ever get it to crap out on me when the tech is here..

This is what mine does...
I will be watching tv on either HDMI or s-video (never had it happen on component but i only have DVD connected to component) and then all of a sudden the screen goes black but the lamp is still on. The sound is still on so i know its not a cablebox issue.. this sound like it? only way i know how to fix it is to power off and then power on.. it has happend maybe a half dozen times for me in the past 2 months.. My manufacture date is Jan 05'

Originally posted by lemonsieur
I got a refurbed one for a much lower price! $89 for the 700VA model.
refurbups dot com

I Just got mine in the mail last nite.. thank you for the info.. so now when i plug in my tv, and the pull the plug on the UPS the tv shutsoff and then turns right back on.. so i am closer but it doesnt stay on without interuption.. is this ok?

Originally posted by batlin27
I too have this problem or something like it.. I am nervous about calling panasonic because it is such a random thing i dont think i could ever get it to crap out on me when the tech is here..

This is what mine does...
I will be watching tv on either HDMI or s-video (never had it happen on component but i only have DVD connected to component) and then all of a sudden the screen goes black but the lamp is still on. The sound is still on so i know its not a cablebox issue.. this sound like it? only way i know how to fix it is to power off and then power on.. it has happend maybe a half dozen times for me in the past 2 months.. My manufacture date is Jan 05'

You've got it. Bummer.

So far I've heard it happen to Jan 05, Nov 04 and Oct 04 so I don't think it's manufacturing related. I've also heard it happen on HDMI, S-Video and I've personnally experienced it on Component video (RCA video), S-video and the simple cable input so I don't think it is input dependent either. It's occurred with my DVD player as well as the Satallite input so it's not something external. It has happened when the TV was on for a short while and while it's been on for a long time so it's not time dependent. It's happened within a few days and then it's gone weeks before occuring again. Go figure ...

I'll let you know what happens when the service guys do their thing. Stay tuned ...

Originally posted by puckcoach3
You've got it. Bummer.

So far I've heard it happen to Jan 05, Nov 04 and Oct 04 so I don't think it's manufacturing related. I've also heard it happen on HDMI, S-Video and I've personnally experienced it on Component video (RCA video), S-video and the simple cable input so I don't think it is input dependent either. It's occurred with my DVD player as well as the Satallite input so it's not something external. It has happened when the TV was on for a short while and while it's been on for a long time so it's not time dependent. It's happened within a few days and then it's gone weeks before occuring again. Go figure ...

I'll let you know what happens when the service guys do their thing. Stay tuned ...

thanks for keeping us updated, I actually posted this problem back on page 68...but didn't get any responses.. good to see i am not the only one!

I got my set about 7 weeks ago and I don't have any problems. But I did notice a strange thing with the remote. If I accidentally bump the side of the remote it will sent a random commend to the set. Usually it changes the input from from HDMI to cable to whatever. It will also change channels and it does turn the set off on occasion. I don't let the set out of standby mode, I just hit the power button again. I don't know if I have a defective remote or if it's a case of crossed signals. Could this be the cause of your power down situations? The first time it happened I accused my wife of hitting the wrong button but it has happened to me about a dozen times. You might to check it out.

Originally posted by Gregbe
I got my set about 7 weeks ago and I don't have any problems. But I did notice a strange thing with the remote. If I accidentally bump the side of the remote it will sent a random commend to the set. Usually it changes the input from from HDMI to cable to whatever. It will also change channels and it does turn the set off on occasion. I don't let the set out of standby mode, I just hit the power button again. I don't know if I have a defective remote or if it's a case of crossed signals. Could this be the cause of your power down situations? The first time it happened I accused my wife of hitting the wrong button but it has happened to me about a dozen times. You might to check it out.

This is not the cause of mine. For one, I don't use the Panny remote but more importantly, it doesn't really go into a true "standby". The picture goes blank but you still hear the sound. Also, the green light stays on. If it were changing the video input, it would most likely come back to that "new" input when you powered back up but upon power up, it stays with the original input.

Thanks for the input -- all theories/hypothesis are welcome :)

Originally posted by batlin27
I Just got mine in the mail last nite.. thank you for the info.. so now when i plug in my tv, and the pull the plug on the UPS the tv shutsoff and then turns right back on.. so i am closer but it doesnt stay on without interuption.. is this ok?


That happened to me as well. Once the UPS is fully charged that should not happen again.

last night i found a sync problem with the dvd i was watching.

i have the LG DVB418 and i've already had to return one of them (within the first week i had the unit). the first time, the stopped working all of a sudden and nothing would show up on the tv. no picture, no sound, nothing. it wasn't reading any of the dvd's or vcd's.

anyway, yesterday i was watching a dvd, closer (starring natalie portman, julia roberts, jude law, clive owens) and i found a lip sync problem. :eek: i don't know if it started at the beginning of the movie but by the middle of the movie i could clearly notice it and it was getting annoying. has anyone had this problem with this dvd player or any others?? maybe i need to go get another dvd player.

what dvd players are you guys using?? i'm looking for one that has HDMI and can also play divx.

I have the 50DL54 (build date November 2004) plugged into a UPS along with a VCR. Sometimes when I turn on the HK AVR635 receiver, the TV turns off and then back on again. It seems like the Panasonic TV is very sensitive to a drop in the input voltage. I am fairly sure the line voltage drops because the brown-out alarm on a surge protector beeps for a split-second when the HK AVR 635 is powering up, and this corresponds to the 50DL54 turning off and then back on again.

The UPS is just a simple APC stand-by type (BackUPS 500 or something like that), not one with brown-out protection (multi-tap transformer).

For now, I'm just going to be sure to power up the receiver first and wait a moment before turning on the TV.

Originally posted by janacokr
Can anyone please post powerstrip setting for 1:1 mapping with no overscan?

I am interested in powerstrip settings also. I have tried 1280*720 but I get overscan all around. I can get 1200*674 to work for a few seconds but then I lose the picture and have to revert back to 1280*720...I don't think my timing setting is correct.

Has anyone been successful with powerstrip through the HDMI port? 1:1 pixel mapping and no overscan?

Originally posted by craigsw858
I have the 50DL54 (build date November 2004) plugged into a UPS along with a VCR. Sometimes when I turn on the HK AVR635 receiver, the TV turns off and then back on again. It seems like the Panasonic TV is very sensitive to a drop in the input voltage. I am fairly sure the line voltage drops because the brown-out alarm on a surge protector beeps for a split-second when the HK AVR 635 is powering up, and this corresponds to the 50DL54 turning off and then back on again.

The UPS is just a simple APC stand-by type (BackUPS 500 or something like that), not one with brown-out protection (multi-tap transformer).

For now, I'm just going to be sure to power up the receiver first and wait a moment before turning on the TV.

I don't believe the BackUPS series is a true sine wave UPS. If you pull the power cord on the UPS and the TV goes off, it is a simulated sine wave. And the UPS is providing you no protection. Well maybe surge protection. It may even be harmful since the TV does not like the simulated wave.

The APC SmartUPS series is a true sine wave. It also protects from brownouts as well.

im about to buy this tv from sams club, but before i do has anyone played halo 2 on this tv, is there any lag and dose it display in widescreen properly

Originally posted by dmpinder
im about to buy this tv from sams club, but before i do has anyone played halo 2 on this tv, is there any lag and dose it display in widescreen properly I think Halo 2 looks great on this TV. It will display correctly in widescreen, but you'll have to set the aspect ratio of the Pany to Full (it doesn't recognize the flag from the Xbox for this game). The HUD will look squished, but the rest of the graphics will be correct.

I didn't notice any lag issues, but I'm a gamer over 40, so my reflexes may not be that keen anymore. YMMV.

Scott

also should i wait and get the samsung HLR5067W with the newer chip? it the picture quality that much better with the new chip

I have owned a Panasonic DLP for the last 6 months. I have never made nay changes to the service me nu. What changes i have to make the pic on both HD and SD to look better. I have the Dish network HD receiver connected with a HDMI cable
Thank you

2 questions---

The first question is one that I cannot find an answer for or can I ever seem to get answered- has anyone had to get a "new" bulb from Panasonic within the first year, and if so what are the steps in doing this (I see that Panasonic will cover you if the bulb is defective within the first year)? I also have an extended warranty from the place I bought it from so even if it is after the first year I should be ok but I'm just curious if anyone has had to do this and what the steps are involved...

Now my second question is regards to the Smart-UPS that people were talking about- I see you were talking about the Smart-UPS 700, will the Smart-UPS 900 work as well, I see that they have it for the same price.... thanks

Does anyone know how to view the resolution that is being displayed? I know some other TVs have it but I haven't been able to find it for this one..

Originally posted by dmpinder
im about to buy this tv from sams club, but before i do has anyone played halo 2 on this tv, is there any lag and dose it display in widescreen properly

nope, no lag on halo 2.

i have xbox, ps2, gamecube all connected and haven't had any problems with any of the systems.

Although it's not a huge deal, it is certainly annoying in my opinion that the Panny doesn't show the resolution. At some point, someone mentioned that you can see the resoluntion in the service menu, but that's not exactly convenient.

I bought the tv about a month ago. Overall, I love it. I do have a couple of issues.

1. I have the HD/Tivo unit connect via HDMI. About half the time when I first turn the set on, the lamps come on, but no picture. I have to switch the output,(720, 1080,etc), and then the picture comes on. Does this sound like an issue with the set, or the HD/Tivo?

2. I'm also experiencing alot of red in faces. There doesn't seem to be a problem anywhere but on faces. I have turned the red down but now I think there's too much green in some situations.

Any ideas/fixes would be greatly appreciated as I'm relatively new to most of this.

Oh, one more thing......I'm thinking of getting a new DVD player. Should I get one with upconversion? Will it make a noticeable difference? Keep in mind that I'm already using the HDMI input on my TV for the Directv unit.

Thanks,
Ian

Oh, one more thing......I'm thinking of getting a new DVD player. Should I get one with upconversion? Will it make a noticeable difference?

In my opinion, from a guy who has printed all 80+ pages as reference for my TV, your $2500+ will native it up to 720p better than most if any $200 upconverting DVD players (Panny S97 MAY be an exception)

AS for red faces, have you used DVE? Worked wonders for me, no more red bleeding.
JW

Well, I just had a conjugal visit with my Panny DLP in the shop for the problem I described it this post (check the attachment). (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=5441231#post5441231) It first went to one repair shop, who returned it a week later saying that nothing was wrong. I called a different shop, who actually sent out a real technician, and agreed there was definitely a problem. They couldn't fix it (everything was "in spec") after a week, so they sent it to the Panasonic repair center, which is fortunately quite close to where I live. After spending 2.5 weeks in the repair center, they basically replaced the whole electronic "guts" (as the tech described it). He asked me if I wanted to check it out to make sure it was correct. I did, and it was! :D

So, they are actually going to hang on to it for a while, they also want to add the noise reduction kit, since it is in the shop already. That means I won't get it until next week, but since I've waited a month already, a few more days won't hurt.

Originally posted by iruderman
I bought the tv about a month ago. Overall, I love it. I do have a couple of issues.

1. I have the HD/Tivo unit connect via HDMI. About half the time when I first turn the set on, the lamps come on, but no picture. I have to switch the output,(720, 1080,etc), and then the picture comes on. Does this sound like an issue with the set, or the HD/Tivo?

2. I'm also experiencing alot of red in faces. There doesn't seem to be a problem anywhere but on faces. I have turned the red down but now I think there's too much green in some situations.

Any ideas/fixes would be greatly appreciated as I'm relatively new to most of this.

Oh, one more thing......I'm thinking of getting a new DVD player. Should I get one with upconversion? Will it make a noticeable difference? Keep in mind that I'm already using the HDMI input on my TV for the Directv unit.

Thanks,
Ian

if you do get a new dvd, make sure you find one that will unconvert via component cable. a lot of the dvd players won't upconvert if you're not using HDMI.

Originally posted by AkaStp
Ugh! Now there's a vision we could all do without (especially as I was eating lunch at my desk when I read it). :D
Hey, you try going without for a month and see how you respond when you are finally re-united! ;)

Originally posted by raven500
2 questions---

Now my second question is regards to the Smart-UPS that people were talking about- I see you were talking about the Smart-UPS 700, will the Smart-UPS 900 work as well, I see that they have it for the same price.... thanks

Yes it should. As long as it delivers a true sine wave, and I believe it does.

Originally posted by lemonsieur
Yes it should. As long as it delivers a true sine wave, and I believe it does.

thanks for the reply, truthfully though I couldn't wait for an answer any longer and I had ordered it and YES it does work, the thing is huge though but at least now if the power goes out my tv will stay on for alittle bit so I can turn it off properly...........

(it was the same price as the 700 at refurbups so I figured why not get that one :) )

Howdy folks,

First of all I want to thanks everyone here for the wealth of info provided, yous guys are great!

I decided to return the Panny, it had the keystone and the tech said it wasn't a mechanical adjustment but rather a bad DMD. He suggested returning it for a Sammy.

I decided to get a Sammy, one of the '05 HLR series...the 5067 and comare it side by side to the 50DL54...if the PQ on the Panny looked better I'd get it fixed, if the Sammy looked better I'd keep it and return the Panny.

Well...keep in mind that I'm no expert here and YMMV, but to my untrained eyes the new Sammy looked just as nice if not better than the Panny. I have to give the Panny the nod for input selection, sound quality, and the remote...but for me these things are background noise, the most important aspect I needed to consider was the PQ and the connections.

Sorry guys, it's been fun but I'm jumping ship. Take care!

Ok so I am almsot sure this is the TV for me, been searching for the perfect match for damn near a year. I plan on using this DLP set for movies and videogames. So can anybody tell me how well it works? Any sync problems, especially with videogames? The Samsung reportedly has bad lag issues when playing sports games or using cables other than component, does this Panny DLP has similar flaws? I plan on hooking all of my new consoles up component and hooking my Mini to the RGB input, how well do these hookups work in the sense of a good picture and no lag issues? Thanks for the help. I am slowly making my way through the thread (84 pages) so I apologize for any repeat questions.

Originally posted by kellercl
Ok so I am almsot sure this is the TV for me, been searching for the perfect match for damn near a year. I plan on using this DLP set for movies and videogames. So can anybody tell me how well it works? Any sync problems, especially with videogames? The Samsung reportedly has bad lag issues when playing sports games or using cables other than component, does this Panny DLP has similar flaws? I plan on hooking all of my new consoles up component and hooking my Mini to the RGB input, how well do these hookups work in the sense of a good picture and no lag issues? Thanks for the help. I am slowly making my way through the thread (84 pages) so I apologize for any repeat questions.

No sync issues on any input. My XBox games look absolutely fantastic on my Panny DLP over component, especially the 720p compatible games. Even 480p games like Burnout 3 look amazing. DVD looks excellent too, although I've found that the scan line doubler on my Pioneer DVD player (http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/product/detail/0,,2076_15020669_35102,00.html) does a better job than the one in the Panny. This may change once I get my TV back from the repair center though. Sounds like they replaced the whole electrical guts. I'll have to see when I get it back later this week.

Grimoire, what is the "noise reduction kit" going to do? Is it really going to drop the noise from the fan? This is probably my biggest complaint about the 50DL54 and has me thinking of returning it. I can hear the fan from 40 feet away in another room if the sound is turned down. That simply seems ridiculously loud.

I'd be very interested to learn more about this kit if it is really going to help.

I've been reading this thread for a while and have noticed divergent opinions on whether letting the Panasonic 50DL54 do the upscaling gets a better picture or if a DVD player can do a better job. One post in particular had me puzzled about the Panasonic S97 DVD player possibly looking better with component inputs. That has me confused in particular because the S97 has gotten such raving reviews about making the picture look better via its upscaling and I thought part of the reason is the HDMI input being all-digital.

Any opinion on various DVD players that look really great via HDMI on the 50DL54?

Thanks Grimoire

Originally posted by craigsw858
Grimoire, what is the "noise reduction kit" going to do? Is it really going to drop the noise from the fan? This is probably my biggest complaint about the 50DL54 and has me thinking of returning it. I can hear the fan from 40 feet away in another room if the sound is turned down. That simply seems ridiculously loud.

I'd be very interested to learn more about this kit if it is really going to help.
I'm really not sure what the noise reduction kit will do. The Panasonic tech said he wanted to install it, since it was in the shop anyway. My TV is a little loud, but not too bad. My XBox is a bit louder, as is the motor in my VHS (yeah, still haven't gotten rid of it). I'll have to see when it comes back if it has made any difference.

So I am having trouble finding this set for sale and hear there is a new version coming out later this year. Anybody have specs and a release date?

Originally posted by kellercl
So I am having trouble finding this set for sale and hear there is a new version coming out later this year. Anybody have specs and a release date?
Yes Panasonic is supposed to have a 56" and 60" coming out later this year. No specs yet on them.

Originally posted by Big Worms
Yes Panasonic is supposed to have a 56" and 60" coming out later this year. No specs yet on them.

Does it seem strange to anyone besides me that the Marketing Gurus at Panasonic would "End of Life" the current series long before they even announce their next series let alone go into production ?? So much for having something on the shelf until you can have something to sell.

How would you like to be the Panasonic Salesguy with a quota to make but no inventory to make it with ? You can only imagine the discussions with his boss:

Boss: "Hey Joe Salesguy, you need to come to my office for a meeting. Your numbers are looking pretty grim this quarter and I hear that you've been out playing alot of golf."

Joe SG: "But Boss, I have nothing to sell."

Boss: "Sell what you have on the truck today."

Joe SG: "But the truck is empty. We even unloaded all of our remaining LCD inventory to Costco last quarter."

Boss: "There's still some remaining Edtv stuff. Blow that stuff out."

Joe SG: "We blew that out to Costco last quarter as well."

Boss: "We've got some 36" tubes still left in the warehouse."

Joe SG: "I'd have to sell about 1.5M of those to make my quota this quarter."

Boss: "So what's your problem ? Didn't I just tell you to sell what you have on the truck today ?"

Gotta love the corporate world :confused:

Originally posted by Grimoire
I'm really not sure what the noise reduction kit will do. The Panasonic tech said he wanted to install it, since it was in the shop anyway. My TV is a little loud, but not too bad. My XBox is a bit louder, as is the motor in my VHS (yeah, still haven't gotten rid of it). I'll have to see when it comes back if it has made any difference.

I'm curious to see if it works as well. I had exchanged my 60" set for another (it came from a small store, 2nd set was next one on the production line based on serial no.).

This exchange was made only after I complained about the noise of these sets. I would be interested to see if Panasonic called back people who had complained about noisy fans to say hey, ""we may have a fix".

I have a service man coming to look at our set soon. Here's what I notice:

1) Problem where I have to unplug the set, the color turn mostly green when powered up at times

2) Screen flaw, mark on screen but its behind the front panel

3) Noisy fan

4) Banding colors on SD channels, and at times in looking at photos, or in faces in low light, its not a smooth graduation it looks blochy.

Anyone have any of issues, in particular the last, dont know if its a DLP thing, mpg flaw or a TV defect?? Any comments?

Does anyone have the Part # for the Fan Noise Reduction Kit?

I remember a member had it installed a while, but but he did not notice a difference. He was in Canada.

Does anyone know if this kit is available in the US?







Originally posted by Grimoire
Well, I just had a conjugal visit with my Panny DLP in the shop for the problem I described it this post (check the attachment). (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=5441231#post5441231) It first went to one repair shop, who returned it a week later saying that nothing was wrong. I called a different shop, who actually sent out a real technician, and agreed there was definitely a problem. They couldn't fix it (everything was "in spec") after a week, so they sent it to the Panasonic repair center, which is fortunately quite close to where I live. After spending 2.5 weeks in the repair center, they basically replaced the whole electronic "guts" (as the tech described it). He asked me if I wanted to check it out to make sure it was correct. I did, and it was! :D

So, they are actually going to hang on to it for a while, they also want to add the noise reduction kit, since it is in the shop already. That means I won't get it until next week, but since I've waited a month already, a few more days won't hurt.

Ciao, off Topic but how do you like your Athena speakers? Been looking at that specific model and am ready to pull the trigger. Still waiting on making a decision between Panny's new DLP (hopefully come out with a 60") or JVC's 2nd gen DILA.

Originally posted by kclfoxtrot
Ciao, off Topic but how do you like your Athena speakers? Been looking at that specific model and am ready to pull the trigger. Still waiting on making a decision between Panny's new DLP (hopefully come out with a 60") or JVC's 2nd gen DILA.

The Athena Audition series has had great reviews. You can check the links on their website, www.athenaspeakers.com. You'll see that it has great sound for a small price. As I mentioned, I have AS-F1, AS-C1 and PS-400P. I have large PSB bookshelf speakers as rears. The system rocks, I suggest watching the speeder chase scene in SW Attack of the Clones. I'm no audiophile, so I let the reviews guide me to that system.

I just picked up the $299 special with the AS-B2's replaced by the AS-R1's which were not in stock. I prefer to have directional rear speakers vs. the dipole surround type. A day later I picked up the PS-300P's for $199. I've yet to set these up, but expect comparable sound to my current setup.

Does this thing really exist?

I called Panasonic US Support, they never heard of it.
I called Panasonic Parts, they never heard of it either

Maybe it's only available in Canada.

Can anyone get a Part #?

take a look here;

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=543508

I've been reading this thread for a while and have noticed divergent opinions on whether letting the Panasonic 50DL54 do the upscaling gets a better picture or if a DVD player can do a better job. One post in particular had me puzzled about the Panasonic S97 DVD player possibly looking better with component inputs. That has me confused in particular because the S97 has gotten such raving reviews about making the picture look better via its upscaling and I thought part of the reason is the HDMI input being all-digital.

Any opinion on various DVD players that look really great via HDMI on the 50DL54?

i'm using the samsung hd850. picture looks great.

Does this thing really exist?

I called Panasonic US Support, they never heard of it.
I called Panasonic Parts, they never heard of it either

Maybe it's only available in Canada.

Can anyone get a Part #?


No one in Canada seems aware of it either.

Anyone have any luck in quieting the set is it the cooling fan or color wheel making the noise.

It's not just a fan noise it has a rather annoying sound to it, I've seen it on 2 sets now.

I like the Panasonic but am thinking to going to a Samsung HD2+ set instead if there is no solution...

No one in Canada seems aware of it either.

The Panasonic technician that serviced my TV knows about it. I don't have a part number, but on the service invoice he called it a factory modification fan noise kit. While they fixed the problem I was having here, (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5441231#post5441231) I am now having a new problem with a dark strip down the left hand side of the screen. :(

I've attached a couple of pictures of the new problem. Too bad, since the rest of the picture is absolutely amazing...

optical path shifted.

optical path shifted.

Ok, I'll let the tech know. :) I take it this is something that may have happened during the move from the technician to the house, since I did not see the problem while it was in the shop, nor did the tech? Also, what part may have shifted?

Thanks.

2nd choice, something else shifted partly blocking the light path to that side.

Ok, I'll let the tech know. :) I take it this is something that may have happened during the move from the technician to the house, since I did not see the problem while it was in the shop, nor did the tech? Also, what part may have shifted?

Thanks.

Grimoire, did you get your set back? Just wondering how much of a difference the noise is?

Mine is indeed heard, at night I like to have the volume low, and I have to turn it louder than wanted just to get over the set noise. I need to set the volume over 9 to get over the fan noise.

Too bad you have another issue, the salesman told me when buying that Panasonic projection TVs have a nice image but also the highest return rate.

The 1st one I had was a floor model, it turned out to be a mess of problems, so now I have a new one, its fine except the noise.

The shop where I got the new one, mentioned his floor model had to be serviced twice already....

I'm not clear are these sets discontinued, I've heard they are and there is no replacement yet?

The Panasonic technician that serviced my TV knows about it. I don't have a part number, but on the service invoice he called it a factory modification fan noise kit. While they fixed the problem I was having here, (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5441231#post5441231) I am now having a new problem with a dark strip down the left hand side of the screen. :(

I've attached a couple of pictures of the new problem. Too bad, since the rest of the picture is absolutely amazing...

Grimoire,

Is your set quieter after the fan noise kit was installed? I've been following your posts for quite some time now.

Is there anyway you can call your Service Tech and ask him for a part number of the kit? If you give me his name and #, I'll call him from the US.

I'm sure a bunch of us here would like to get our hands on one. Many of us have tried, but Panasonic acts like we're nuts...

No one in Canada seems aware of it either.

Anyone have any luck in quieting the set is it the cooling fan or color wheel making the noise.

It's not just a fan noise it has a rather annoying sound to it, I've seen it on 2 sets now.

I like the Panasonic but am thinking to going to a Samsung HD2+ set instead if there is no solution...


JackLT,

My fan noise is pretty bad as well. I had the Mits. DLP prior to the Panny. It had a noisy fan as well, but the noise from the Mits. fan was from the air movement. You're right, the noise from the Panny is not air movement, it's an annoying "resonance" type of noise, like the chassis is vibrating.

My fan noise is pretty bad as well. I had the Mits. DLP prior to the Panny. It had a noisy fan as well, but the noise from the Mits. fan was from the air movement. You're right, the noise from the Panny is not air movement, it's an annoying "resonance" type of noise, like the chassis is vibrating.

Yes, you have described it correctly, that's what I'm hearing.

The repairman offered to replace the fan but suggested it may not help and was not aware of the noise reduction kit.

With such a big enclosure at the back the set it should be silent, they could put 120+mm fan(s) with rubber mounts, and direct vents.

I had a DLP projector that was near silent, with a few mods, my PC is near silent, I dont think its asking to much to expect the Panasonic to be that way too?

Grimoire, did you get your set back? Just wondering how much of a difference the noise is?

Mine is indeed heard, at night I like to have the volume low, and I have to turn it louder than wanted just to get over the set noise. I need to set the volume over 9 to get over the fan noise.Is your set quieter after the fan noise kit was installed? I've been following your posts for quite some time now.

Is there anyway you can call your Service Tech and ask him for a part number of the kit? If you give me his name and #, I'll call him from the US.

I'm sure a bunch of us here would like to get our hands on one. Many of us have tried, but Panasonic acts like we're nuts...

The noise does seem to be a less. Noise was never a real problem with my set to begin with though, and since it was in the shop for so long, I really can't remember exactly how bad. I don't have a part number, but I do have to call the Panasonic serviceman today to arrange a pickup and I will ask him about it.

Is there anyway you can call your Service Tech and ask him for a part number of the kit? If you give me his name and #, I'll call him from the US.
I talked to the service tech, and his answer made a lot of sense. The fan noise kit is an experimental kit, and therefor it has no official part number, and customer service has no knowledge of it. My tech (heh, "my tech") had a couple shipped to him, and since my TV happened to be in the shop at the time, he installed it. He does not have any more of them, and he doesn't know if he will get any more.

I think your best bet is to call the Panasonic factory service centre nearest you and ask to talk directly to a DLP TV service technician. Customer service has no idea about the kit, and they are not generally available even to technicians.

Sorry I couldn't give you any good news...

To bad Panasonic cant solve this issue.

For many its just too loud. I've tried calling Panasonic service depots without success. I've asked about replacing the fan, etc, and they said it would be replaced with the same fan and it probably would not make a difference.

I was listening to it this morning, and to me it actually seems louder with the noise reduction kit. Granted, it was in the shop for a long time, but I don't remember it being quite as loud. I wish I know what the CFM rating of the current fan(s) are, so I could replace them with something quieter. Heck, my PC is quieter than that, and it has a CPU fan, a 120MM fan on the power supply, and two Panasonic Panaflow case fans. Probably have to wait until the warranty is out though. Either that or make sure I modify it in such a way as to make it easy to mod back without detection. :D

Well, the Panasonic factory service tech took my TV away again today to fix the problem described in this post. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5683305&&#post5683305) Looks like he has to replace the DMD chip, which was pretty much the only part he didn't replace last time...

The plus side is, I bought the Panasonic DVD-S97S on the weekend from Future Shop at a bargain basement, open box, clearance price, and it looked absolutely amazing (other than the left hand side, of course)! If you watch a lot of DVDs on your Panny DLP, you should go out and track down this player (or wait for the next model, the 77) and buy it. Wow. :eek:

Yes, you have described it correctly, that's what I'm hearing.

The repairman offered to replace the fan but suggested it may not help and was not aware of the noise reduction kit.

With such a big enclosure at the back the set it should be silent, they could put 120+mm fan(s) with rubber mounts, and direct vents.

I had a DLP projector that was near silent, with a few mods, my PC is near silent, I dont think its asking to much to expect the Panasonic to be that way too?

Exactly how I feel. I'll wait for a solution to this noise. Rubber grommets or mounts sound like a viable solution. I'm curious to see what the experimental noise reduction kits are using. :(

Service Tech came out to my house on Friday.

He agreed that the fan was noisy. He said he would call Panasonic next week regarding the noise issue. He will also check around for any Service Bulletins regarding this issue.

I think we all should call for Service on our sets until Panasonic comes up with a viable fix.

MarkMSM, Did the tech open the back, did you have a look? Do any Panasonic techs who make house calls ever open the set?

I'd be interested in seeing the fans, and if there would be a easy way to swap them or quiet them. I'm not holding much hope for Panasonic doing anything, I mean they were the ones who released the set as is anyhow.

I was listening to a music DVD and the fan noise was annoying during quiet passages. Made me think if the reciever made that noise on quiet passages NO ONE would keep it, but with the TV, it seems we are expected to accept it??

Anyone with a 60" set comment on the noise, wondering if its just the 50's that are heard?

MarkMSM, Did the tech open the back, did you have a look? Do any Panasonic techs who make house calls ever open the set?

I'd be interested in seeing the fans, and if there would be a easy way to swap them or quiet them. I'm not holding much hope for Panasonic doing anything, I mean they were the ones who released the set as is anyhow.

I was listening to a music DVD and the fan noise was annoying during quiet passages. Made me think if the reciever made that noise on quiet passages NO ONE would keep it, but with the TV, it seems we are expected to accept it??

He did not open the set. He just said it sounded loud.

Still waiting to hear back from him.

Anyone with a 60" set comment on the noise, wondering if its just the 50's that are heard?

I have the 60" model and find that the fan noise isn't bad. I have been trying to find something to compare it to that is fairly common. The sound of the fan in my computer is definitly the louder of the two. The TV fan is somewhat louder than the fan in the Gamecube. Our fairly modern refridgerator's coolant pump is about the same I guess, but when you open the door the fan inside is much louder. I don't have a device to measure its sound level in decibles so I can't give you a figure. I will keep listening until I find something that is a good match :o

Well, the Panasonic factory service tech took my TV away again today to fix the problem described in this post. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5683305&&#post5683305) Looks like he has to replace the DMD chip, which was pretty much the only part he didn't replace last time...



Grimoire - When you get your set back (again!) could you post a picture of the DVE grayscale test pattern that you posted earlier in this thread? At the time you complained about some green and red grays I believe, and that this has since been fixed? I would be interested to compare the "fixed" to the "before" case, and compare it to my 50dl54. I do see some green in the same grayscale pattern, which causes what I would term a very distinct false contour where the switch between the "gray-gray" and "green-gray" color appears. I see this artifact occasionally in some dark scenes (though not all) and I am trying to decide if I should do anything about it or accept it as part of the TV.

Also - do you know what "WB" setting you are using in the service menu?

Thanks...
Ben

Anyone tried to install sound absorbing material BEHIND the set on the wall?

dingJam & Grimoire

I recently got the DVE disk and the AVIA disk and I noticed the "green and red grays" too. It bothered me that it wasn't a nice gradual transition, but as a color blind person my perception of green and red is limited so I thought it might just be me. When I viewed the picture from Grimoire on page 55 of this forum I realized it was the same for me.

I wonder if either of you has found that the grey ramp in AVIA is smoother?

I also found that the colors in the DVE grey scale would move around from left to right when playing with the contrast control.

I can post pictures if it is helpful. By the way my WB setting is 01 as recommended by Topp Robertson way earlier in this thread.

Ulitimately I am going to have a travelling calibrater come and fix me up. Hopefully he can cure the problem, but if either of you or anyone else has a fix, or has had it fixed, please let us know.

Mike

dingJam & Grimoire

I recently got the DVE disk and the AVIA disk and I noticed the "green and red grays" too. It bothered me that it wasn't a nice gradual transition, but as a color blind person my perception of green and red is limited so I thought it might just be me. When I viewed the picture from Grimoire on page 55 of this forum I realized it was the same for me.

I wonder if either of you has found that the grey ramp in AVIA is smoother?

I also found that the colors in the DVE grey scale would move around from left to right when playing with the contrast control.

I can post pictures if it is helpful. By the way my WB setting is 01 as recommended by Topp Robertson way earlier in this thread.

Ulitimately I am going to have a travelling calibrater come and fix me up. Hopefully he can cure the problem, but if either of you or anyone else has a fix, or has had it fixed, please let us know.

Mike

I didn't look at the grey ramps from AVIA, only DVE. In "real" scenes from normal DVDs, TV, video games, etc., the problem would cause false contouring, especially in faces, skies, and fuzzy backgrounds. After coming back from Panasonic, all of the aforementioned problems disappeared.

As for the WB, I only modified it when I had the tint problem, and that actually made it worse.

If you are seeing the exact same type of green and red tinting that I saw, a calibrater won't be able to fix it. If it was just reddish, or just greenish, and even across the whole scale of grey, you would be able to. The Panasonic fatory serviceman couldn't get rid of it, and had to replace the mainboard and the colour wheel to fix the problem. After he did that, there was no problem with the colour, even with the default settings. You shouldn't have to try and tune out errors like this, which are quite significant.

The Panasonic fatory serviceman couldn't get rid of it, and had to replace the mainboard and the colour wheel to fix the problem. After he did that, there was no problem with the colour, even with the default settings.

Thanks Grimoire.
I actually have speculated to myself that the problem could be with the color wheel. These sets have a "dark green" color wheel segment that is used for dark scenes. One can imagine that if this "dark green" color isn't quite what the tv software expects it to be, that there would be a rough transition between two shades of gray where in one, the "dark green" segment is used and in the other, the color is created from the RGB color segments. This is just speculation of course and may be way off base...

I think I'll email Panasonic (or call?) and see what happens. I'll post a picture of how the gray ramp looks on my set when I get a chance.

Ben

I don't have a device to measure its sound level in decibles so I can't give you a figure. I will keep listening until I find something that is a good match

55dB at 11" from the left side of my Panny facing directly at the fan (anything further away and it drops below the threshold that my dBmeter can register)
JW

The Panasonic fatory serviceman couldn't get rid of it, and had to replace the mainboard and the colour wheel to fix the problem. After he did that, there was no problem with the colour, even with the default settings. You shouldn't have to try and tune out errors like this, which are quite significant.

Hi Grimoire,

Thanks for the update. I wonder if you could answer 2 questions?

1. Was the fix covered under warranty?
2. Could you post a picture of the DVE grayscale now?

Thanks for any help you can offer...

Mike

Hi Grimoire,

Thanks for the update. I wonder if you could answer 2 questions?

1. Was the fix covered under warranty?
2. Could you post a picture of the DVE grayscale now?

Thanks for any help you can offer...

Mike

1. Yes, the fix was covered under warranty (Whew!)

Your mileage may vary, however. The first shop that took a look (authorized Panasonic repair centre) took it to their shop, and sent it back a week or so later saying that there was nothing wrong. :mad: So, I called a second repair shop. They actually saw the problem, but couldn't fix it, and they shipped it off to the factory service centre in Richmond. They fixed it there, and sent it back via the second repair center, who returned it to me, unfortunately with a damaged DMD chip.

2. Nope, since I don't have it back from the other problem, with the dark strip down the left side (damaged DMD chip). I will probably get it back early next week. However, when I do get it back, I will try and remember to post a pic. If you don't see anything from me by Wednesday, PM me a reminder! :)

Anyone with a 60" set comment on the noise, wondering if its just the 50's that are heard?

2 sets, both 60", both with loud fans...

Hey folks, I'm coming back to this thread after having the set for about 6 months. I do have a couple things to report/ask about my PT50DL54:

-My bulb blew out after approximately 5 months. A friend who bought a 60" had his go after a month. Surprising, but replacements were supplied in a couple days.

-One thing I have noticed, and its driving me nuts... I wanted to ask here before I called Panasonic:

When I watch DVDs on my LG DVD player, some DVDs have a white flashing at the very top edge of the screen. It kind of looks like the light is "bleeding" through or the projector is just not hitting the screen properly. This problem was very obvious just before my bulb blew. Obvious that it was almost a half inch wide and strobing at the middle... When I replaced the bulb, it seemed not as visible... Now I've noticed it again. I also noticed this problem watching a couple Divx rips on my Xbox.

This problem does not manifest itself while using my PC, SD satellite TV or any Xbox games. It is only present when I watch movies (which is pretty much all that we do). I haven't narrowed down the list of titles where it is bad, but I will soon, as I fear I may need to call Panasonic.

I DID adjust the Vertical position using DVE's test pattern and the service menu. I have not touched any other service menu settings (I'm totally paranoid about ruining a TV I paid a lot of $$$ for). I DO NOT notice this problem on my friends 60" Panny.

Is this a problems I should get examined? Or could it be due to me adjusting the V-Pos? I'd like to think it is the former... And if its going to burn out another bulb in 5 months, I'd like to take care of it now while I'm still under Pannyt manufacturer's warranty. Panny in Mississauga has been very friendly and helpful so far.


Hey Dark... I have the same problem with the flashing strobe light in the middle of the top edge of the screen, but only when pushing a 720p upconverted signal from my panny s97 via HDMI. I have a techie coming out on 6/14 to check it out and will report back. I also have 2 purple splotches on the top left edge of my screen visible from all inputs that he will hopefully figure out as well.

Attached is a digital picture of DVE gray ramp on my 50dl54. Its not the best picture, but you can see the slightly "green" band in the darker portions of the gray ramp. It's basically a band of green with very distinct transitions - it has a definite start and stop in the gray scale.

In the real world - this artifact is never visible in bright/daylight type of scenes - only in dark ones and particular in darker "grey" scenes. Night scenes and/or fog are where it shows up. This appears to me to be similar to the problem Grimoire described in an earlier post. Similar to yours Mr. Paw? Anyone else comment on similarities or differences to their set?

Ben

Hi,

I too am in Canada and I also had the "noise kit" installed. The kit consists of a piece of 1/4 inch foam tape cut in 4 and placed across the 4 corners of where the fan shrowd meets the fan assembly and then 2 pices of mastic asphalt tape placed on the outside of the shrowd.

People, don't waste your time I contacted Panasonic several times getting names each time and following up when asked to by their service manager as to a new fix.

They have toyed with slowing the fan speed and nothing they do solvews the problem.

I contacted Panasonic yesterday, again following up and they have nothing. I told them their fix was a joke and inquired if perhaps a new fix may involve chewing gum and chicken feathers.

They supervisor, unimpressed, offered to take the set back and allow me to reselect. I took him up on the offer, I may end up with a PT-52LCX65 rear LCD instead.

It is obvious to me that Panasonic has moved on to the newer models and has no plans on pursuing a fix any further.

Kryspy

Focus and Tilt adjustment ... VideoBruce was good to post the instructions for making those adjustments.
Anyone have a service man make them or try it yourself??

I find my set is in perfect focus on the left side but the lower right side is out. Makes it hard on the eyes to read text from the PC.

Anyone?

Link to Instructions (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5677228&&#post5677228)

Attached is a digital picture of DVE gray ramp on my 50dl54. Its not the best picture, but you can see the slightly "green" band in the darker portions of the gray ramp. It's basically a band of green with very distinct transitions - it has a definite start and stop in the gray scale.

In the real world - this artifact is never visible in bright/daylight type of scenes - only in dark ones and particular in darker "grey" scenes. Night scenes and/or fog are where it shows up. This appears to me to be similar to the problem Grimoire described in an earlier post. Similar to yours Mr. Paw? Anyone else comment on similarities or differences to their set?

Ben

Yep, that's it. I took some pictures of the same thing at work on my Dell 19" monitor and it looked great. I will post both later, but can't do it from where I am right now.

I have the service manual and I think I have it figured out. I believe it is the color wheel index adjustment. Unlike other CRT sets where you can adjust the colors you cant do that with a color wheel. In the manual it says that in the service menu you can pull up a red, green and blue color ramp. When you do you are looking for areas of "discoloration". You then adjust the timing of the wheel somehow. (the manual is at home and I am at work so this is just from memory, don't try it yet). Because Grey is made up of equal amounts of Blue, Red and Green (equal amounts of each color at a high level of brightness makes white, while equal amounts of each color in a low level of brightness makes grey) the lower level grey areas have just a little too much green (or in my case red) compared to the other colors.

I have a local authorized repair guy that says he can adjust it by eye. At first I thought he was nuts but now I think I understand why he can do it.

Anyhow, I will keep on it and post back after he has had a go at it.

Mike

First time poster... I purchased the 50DL54 from Amazon based largely on positive feedback on this forum. The PQ is outstanding, however, it has been a nightmare from Day 1 (now on 3rd month).

After 2 hours of viewing, the lamp shuts off (which according to the manual, is due to overheating). After powering down, powering back up, it stays on from anywhere to 3-30 minutes before shutting off again. You can imagine how annoying this is during live sports, etc.

I have had an authorized repairman out twice --- first he soldered some connections on the lamp... and the 2nd time he replaced the ballast on Panasonic's recommendation.

Neither move had any effect.

I am in contact with Panasonic and a little worried that I've got an expensive lemon in my living room... anyone have any advice? Or a past experience with Panasonic that will reassure me they will do the right thing?

Thanks.

In the real world - this artifact is never visible in bright/daylight type of scenes - only in dark ones and particular in darker "grey" scenes. Night scenes and/or fog are where it shows up. This appears to me to be similar to the problem Grimoire described in an earlier post. Similar to yours Mr. Paw? Anyone else comment on similarities or differences to their set?

Ben
Yup, looks the same to me. It even has the reddish tint to some of the greys. Only shows up during darker scenes, and creates false contours. None of the techs that looked at it were able to fix it just by adjusting. It was eventually fixed by replacing the PC Board (TNP2AA185S) and the Colour Wheel (TXFEN01RP4S). What is the manufacture date on your set?

I have had an authorized repairman out twice --- first he soldered some connections on the lamp... and the 2nd time he replaced the ballast on Panasonic's recommendation.

Neither move had any effect.

I am in contact with Panasonic and a little worried that I've got an expensive lemon in my living room... anyone have any advice? Or a past experience with Panasonic that will reassure me they will do the right thing?
I've had excellent experience with Panasonic's technicians, once I got to one...

My advice is this: stop talking with authorized repairmen if you can, and start dealing directly with the factory service center nearest you. Explain the situation, that the authorized repairmen just seem to be experimenting, without actually fixing the problem. They really should be taking the TV into their shop, repairing it, and then verifying that the repair was correct. Then, and only then, should they return the TV to you.

I had nothing but problems when dealing with "authorized" repair centers. Half the time, they end up sending the TV off to Panasonic anyway. They might be good at repairing things like CRTs, DVD players, and VCRs, but many of them have little to no experience in dealing with something as complex as a DLP projection TV.

As for the overheating, I notice that you are in Arizona. It may be that the TV really is overheating without a defect causing the problem. What is the temperature in the room where the TV is located? Is the TV in a cabinet, or is it in the open room?

First time poster... I purchased the 50DL54 from Amazon based largely on positive feedback on this forum. The PQ is outstanding, however, it has been a nightmare from Day 1 (now on 3rd month).

After 2 hours of viewing, the lamp shuts off (which according to the manual, is due to overheating). After powering down, powering back up, it stays on from anywhere to 3-30 minutes before shutting off again. You can imagine how annoying this is during live sports, etc.

I have had an authorized repairman out twice --- first he soldered some connections on the lamp... and the 2nd time he replaced the ballast on Panasonic's recommendation.

Neither move had any effect.

I am in contact with Panasonic and a little worried that I've got an expensive lemon in my living room... anyone have any advice? Or a past experience with Panasonic that will reassure me they will do the right thing?

Thanks.

I'd ask for a replacement or refund. If its been a problem since day 1, they should replace it.

All this talk of problems is making me think of returning mine have a couple weeks left :(

n/a

Yup, looks the same to me. It even has the reddish tint to some of the greys. Only shows up during darker scenes, and creates false contours. None of the techs that looked at it were able to fix it just by adjusting. It was eventually fixed by replacing the PC Board (TNP2AA185S) and the Colour Wheel (TXFEN01RP4S). What is the manufacture date on your set?

I have an August 2004 build.

Kryspy,

How long did you have the Panasonic DLP?



Hi,

I too am in Canada and I also had the "noise kit" installed. The kit consists of a piece of 1/4 inch foam tape cut in 4 and placed across the 4 corners of where the fan shrowd meets the fan assembly and then 2 pices of mastic asphalt tape placed on the outside of the shrowd.

People, don't waste your time I contacted Panasonic several times getting names each time and following up when asked to by their service manager as to a new fix.

They have toyed with slowing the fan speed and nothing they do solvews the problem.

I contacted Panasonic yesterday, again following up and they have nothing. I told them their fix was a joke and inquired if perhaps a new fix may involve chewing gum and chicken feathers.

They supervisor, unimpressed, offered to take the set back and allow me to reselect. I took him up on the offer, I may end up with a PT-52LCX65 rear LCD instead.

It is obvious to me that Panasonic has moved on to the newer models and has no plans on pursuing a fix any further.

Kryspy

I had the problem with colour showing in the grayscale that Grimoire and dingJam had. The service techs came over and ran through the procedures in the manual.

The problem was mostly in the Colour Wheel Index setting. It was off enough that I was getting lots of false contouring, particularly around bright objects against a dark background. (like in The Village, when everyone has gas lanterns and torches for light at night). In the procedures for setting the Colour Wheel Index you hit the RECALL button on the remote and built in colour ramps come up and let you see what is going on. It becomes easier at that point because the ramp is either smooth or it has obvious steps to it.

Anyhow, once he ran through the red, blue, and green colour ramps and settled on a setting, the grayscale was aligned nicely.

I took before and after pix but my camera didn't do a very good job, I don't think it is fast enough to take a picture of the TV (or it is too fast, not sure).

He also suggested that when you use the set you shouldn't turn it off and on very often. He says that when he took training on this set from Panasonic they told him that when you power up the set the surge in the bulb coming on takes around 12 hours off of its life. So if you turn it off and on too much you shorten the life. He suggested if the kids come home after school and want to watch TV then you tell them to leave it on and then you shut it off when you go to bed.

After the adjustments were made I played some of the scenes that were giving me trouble and they are very nice now. No distracting contours around stuff!

He doesn't have a spectrum analyser so I don't know what my color temp is, but it meets the color decoder specs in AVIA and DVE so I am pretty happy now. My wife will be pleased that I won't be staring at test patterns on weekends too.

As for the overheating, I notice that you are in Arizona. It may be that the TV really is overheating without a defect causing the problem. What is the temperature in the room where the TV is located? Is the TV in a cabinet, or is it in the open room?

Thank you for the advice. The TV is an open non-confined space in my living room which is consistently dark... never above 84 degrees and usually much lower. The problem is as consistent during nighttime viewing as it is during the day... (so I agree, it's probably overheating... but it should operate in an average room)

I will contact a service center but if you have further thoughts, please pass them along. It's nice to hear a voice of reason while I'm sitting on this $2300 lemon....

azfox,

Next time your bulb goes out try counting the number of red flashes of the power LED. The following link should take you to an image taken from the service manual.

I haven't put a link into a post before. If it doesnt work it is in a thread called Just what's inside a Panasonic DLP by videobruce.

Perhaps this can narrow down the problem area.

Good luck!

Mike

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=37855

Fan Noise Update:

I called Panasonic Canada and they do have a noise reduciton kit. The local serviceman was not aware of it, but if you call the 905 area code Panasonic service center, they are. It should show up online for all service people now as well.

It can't hurt to get it installed?

Just thought I'd share this with the group:
I recently bought a panny DVD recorder, (base model, no HD) and hooked it up to the 50dl54 via component. I HAD been using my loud Xbox as a DVD player up till then.

I noticed that the video was less contrasty, and saw lots of clay face and color banding, were none were before. In "The 5th Element", where the dark planet first apears, the whole scene is one grey sheet with stars. Yikes!

Putting the same DVD back into my Xbox, I was able to see punchy colors, and real fleshtones again. The same scene was clear and distinct, and the cloud transforms into a planet very clearly.

I never would have thought there'd be such a BIG difference in players. All other settings were the same. (both on component inputs)

YMMV,

Pete

Fan Noise Update:

I called Panasonic Canada and they do have a noise reduciton kit. The local serviceman was not aware of it, but if you call the 905 area code Panasonic service center, they are. It should show up online for all service people now as well.

It can't hurt to get it installed?

JackLT,

Can you post the entire phone number you called? (905) ???-????.

Do you know if there is a part # available yet?

JackLT,

Can you post the entire phone number you called? (905) ???-????.

Do you know if there is a part # available yet?


I called (905) 624-5505, than asked to be transferred to Mississauga service center.
Was transferred a couple of times, but ended up with a confirmation of the kit.

I wanted to post the part number, but still waiting for the call back with it. Was told it is on the "extranet" that servicemen have access to.

Just thought I'd share this with the group:
I recently bought a panny DVD recorder, (base model, no HD) and hooked it up to the 50dl54 via component. I HAD been using my loud Xbox as a DVD player up till then.

I noticed that the video was less contrasty, and saw lots of clay face and color banding, were none were before. In "The 5th Element", where the dark planet first apears, the whole scene is one grey sheet with stars. Yikes!
Pete,

I'm also using a Panasonic DVD recorder. While the banding was always noticable on a regular TV, it doesn't look any different to me on the DLP. I never used it for regular DVD playback though, I've got a Panasonic XP50 for that. I think the reason the banding is so obvious on the recorder is that it's only got an 8 bit color processor. One thing you might want to try is setting the component black level output of the DVD recorder to "darker."

I'm almost tempted to get a DVD player with a DVI output to see if it would eliminate all banding from DVDs.

Scott

I called (905) 624-5505, than asked to be transferred to Mississauga service center.
Was transferred a couple of times, but ended up with a confirmation of the kit.

I wanted to post the part number, but still waiting for the call back with it. Was told it is on the "extranet" that servicemen have access to.

Can anyone confirm if they are willing to install it at homeowner's site?

Thanks

I got a call from the local service tech. who checked out my set last week.

He said he spoke to Panasonic about the noisy fan, and they said they would mail him a replacement (modified) fan. The comment the Panasonic Rep. made was "This one works better".

I got excited, thinking Panasonic has released a modified version of the noisy fan.

The tech showed up today with the fan. The Part # for the Big/Main Fan is FBL12G12LS. I saw the fan box and saw the # was FBA06A12HS. I said GREAT! This is a new fan.

However, when I checked the parts list, I realized that they had sent us the small power supply fan instead.

So we are left to wonder... Is there a modified version of the big/main fan? The tech said he would call Panasonic back to inquire.

We did notice however that the amount of chassis resonance did decrease when the fan was not completely tightened. Once he put the final turn on the bottom fan mount, the nasty vibration/resonance started again. I asked him to back down on the screw a bit, and the resonance did dissipate by about 50%. This is much better than is was. Still a little resonance, but now it's mostly air movement noise.

Another interesting discovery was the hot air exhaust tube. It's shaped like a sound chamber, and it could be affecting the noise level as well. I was able to stick my hand way up in to it. It's like a tuned exhaust pipe on a 2-stroke dirt bike.

I'll post more information as it comes in.

2 questions are:

Is there a modified big/main fan available to replace Part # FBL12G12LS?

Can we get the Fan Noise Reduction Kit in the U.S.? or is the kit only available for the Canadian model?

Pete,

I'm also using a Panasonic DVD recorder. While the banding was always noticable on a regular TV, it doesn't look any different to me on the DLP. I never used it for regular DVD playback though, I've got a Panasonic XP50 for that. I think the reason the banding is so obvious on the recorder is that it's only got an 8 bit color processor. One thing you might want to try is setting the component black level output of the DVD recorder to "darker."

I'm almost tempted to get a DVD player with a DVI output to see if it would eliminate all banding from DVDs.

Scott

Thanks, I'll give it a try. When watching hidef via HDMI, there is almost no banding to speak of, just a slight red push (I need to get that tweeked one day.) I have not noticed a difference between the HDMI and component, except the volume is louder via HDMI. Skin tones are amazing.

Pete

MarkMSM - I never did hear back from Panasonic about the specific part number on the noise fix.

I noticed the exhaust tube, and wondered why ever is it there?

The fan blows into it, then just about 1 inch later, the tube makes a 90deg turn to exhaust the air a few inches down. I don't understand why they didnt just blow the air directly out?

I wonder if it can be removed?

Do you guys know if Panny has announced DLP models for 2005? if so for when? are any less than 50"?

Do you guys know if Panny has announced DLP models for 2005? if so for when? are any less than 50"?
They are supposed to come out with a 56" and a 61" and drop the 50". Nothing less than 56".

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=533139

Got a call back from the DLP Tech today. He spoke to Panasonic, and there is no modified Main/Big Fan available. The only fan available is the original Part # FBL12G12LS.

Looks like we are stuck. Only hope may be the Canadian Fan Noise Reduction Kit.

My unit is much quieter since the tech, loosened the bottom fan mount screw yesterday. This may be a workaround for us in the US.

We decided to return the set before that option expired. I'll miss the nice HD picture, but our fan, or the vibrations it caused were loud, and seemed to be getting worse.

For DVD use with the volume up its fine, but we often used it at night with the PC and wanted something quiet. Had spent some time and effort to make our HTPC quiet, didnt make sense to have a noisy TV.

So, when we didn't hear back from Panasonic or the serviceman about the noise kit, just decided to move on.

We decided to return the set before that option expired. I'll miss the nice HD picture, but our fan, or the vibrations it caused were loud, and seemed to be getting worse.

For DVD use with the volume up its fine, but we often used it at night with the PC and wanted something quiet. Had spent some time and effort to make our HTPC quiet, didnt make sense to have a noisy TV.

So, when we didn't hear back from Panasonic or the serviceman about the noise kit, just decided to move on.

What are you going to get in it's place?

Any News?

You've got it. Bummer.

So far I've heard it happen to Jan 05, Nov 04 and Oct 04 so I don't think it's manufacturing related. I've also heard it happen on HDMI, S-Video and I've personnally experienced it on Component video (RCA video), S-video and the simple cable input so I don't think it is input dependent either. It's occurred with my DVD player as well as the Satallite input so it's not something external. It has happened when the TV was on for a short while and while it's been on for a long time so it's not time dependent. It's happened within a few days and then it's gone weeks before occuring again. Go figure ...

I'll let you know what happens when the service guys do their thing. Stay tuned ...

What are you going to get in it's place?

For now its back to the XGA DLP projector for DVDs and HD.

We preferred the HDTV set as it can be used in normal room light, where as the projector needs things darkened.

I'll wait and look at the new sets as they arrive. The new 1080p sets and if quieter Panasonics 720p sets both look interesting with the slim black framed case.

I'd like to see the new 1080p JVC LCOS set as well, if I can avoid the spinning color wheel in DLPs that may be even better.

Anyone considering the current Panasonics, other than the fan noise with our unit, it was a excellent DLP set.

I have an August 2004 build.

Interesting. I also have an August 2004 build date.

azfox,
Next time your bulb goes out try counting the number of red flashes of the power LED. The following link should take you to an image taken from the service manual.


MrPaw,
Thanks for the reply --- I would've responded faster but I've been in Mexico...

There are no RED flashes on the power LED. The lamp shuts down, I have to power off the TV... and I get 45-60 seconds of yellow flashing LED. When I first turn on the TV, it works for approx. 2 hours, sometimes less. After that, sometimes it stays on for 5 minutes, sometimes 20. No consistency and no error messages.

Anyway, tomorrow morning service center is coming to the house to swap out a lamp. I'm doubtful but crossin' my fingers anyway. Still think Panny is going to end up replacing the box. Arrrgh.

For those considering the DLP, I haven't heard anyone else report this problem --- but it IS a nuisance.. and I would recommend buying from a brick & mortar store.. because buying from an online dealer, I saved $$$ but am unable to bring it back.

Update 6/25: Repairman came and went, put in new lamp, still same problem. I'm speechless. Says we may need to replace "entire light engine", whatever that means.

I reported the "random black out" a few weeks back and only heard back from one other AVs Member that had the same issue. I've had my set for about a month now and it's happened 4 times total -- all solved by a power cycle. It happened on 3 different inputs (S-Video, RCA Video1 and the standard cable input) so I question your VCR hypothesis. I wanted to swap it out but Soundtrack was out of them. I considered ditching it but I liked the TV too much and it fits the space perfectly.

I have since contacted a local Panasonic service company that came out and looked at it the other day. They said they spoke with Panasonic and needed to order a new chassis -- I'm not sure what that encompasses but it seems like it would be most of the set to me. It will take a couple weeks for the new chassis to arrive at which time the service company will have to take my set to their shop.

I'll keep you updated as I get more info. I'd be interested in others that have had this issue dealt with by a method other than a swap.

It took about 6 weeks for Panasonic to ship the replacement chassis to the local service center. During that time my set probably blacked out 3 times total, all corrected with the power cycle. They finally came last Tuesday to pick up my set and haul it off to the shop for fixing. I get it back tomorrow and hopefully, no more blackouts. Since it only happens every couple weeks, I won't be sure that it's really fixed for a couple months. I hope it's fixed for good -- the whole repair loop is truly annoying and inconvenient.

Stay tuned ...

MrPaw,

Update 6/25: Repairman came and went, put in new lamp, still same problem. I'm speechless. Says we may need to replace "entire light engine", whatever that means.

Azfox,

Look through this thread for my posts on the Random Black Out. What you describe is similar although much more extreme. Mine only blacked out about 1/week (only slightly annoying). They just replaced my chassis (light engine) and I get it back tomorrow. Hopefully, it's fixed.

It took them (repair center) about 6 weeks to get a new (or rebuilt one) from Panasonic -- not a big deal to me since mine only blacks out every once in a while. If I'm you, I get Panasonic involved right away or send the set back to Amazon. You're problems are so extreme that I wouldn't mess around.

Good luck !

I've seen this question asked in this thread but not answered so I'll ask again.
I cannot turn on 3d y/c filter in the other adjustments section of the picture menu.
Anyone know why? I'm running a Motorola 6412 cable box through the TV using component input. Just curious.

Treeroot,

The 3D y/c filter only comes on when using the RF input on the back of the set. For example if you take the cable from the back of your Motorola and hook it up directly to the back of the TV. Then when you select Video input 1 - TV, the 3D y/c filter is available. It isn't needed with component or HDMI connections.

Mike

azfox,

I don't know how much it will help but I can fax you a few pages of the service manual. On page 14, there is a section called "Self Check Function". It will explain how to have the TV check itself out. It is used when the symptoms you describe can not be confirmed at the time of servicing. It pinpoints the defective circuit.

Anyhow, if you think it will help I can fax it to you. Just PM me with your fax number. Then if you write down the details from the self check you can pass them on to Panasonics techs and they should be able to diagnose the problem.

One last thing, and sorry if it sounds too simple, but is your set plugged into a power bar or directly into the wall? I can't find the reference at the moment but I thought I read somewhere that it should be plugged straight into the wall if you are having problems with the set. I looked everywhere I could think of to find that bit of info but can't locate it. I might be losing my mind but it might be worth checking out.

Bye for now...

Mike

Thanks Mr Paw,

It has something to do with the input I'm using. I have the cable box connected via component cable. When I switched the input to straight cable to the TV bypassing the cable box I was able to turn on 3d y/c filtering. Still would be interested in knowing why I can't turn it on through component though.

I had the problem with colour showing in the grayscale that Grimoire and dingJam had. The service techs came over and ran through the procedures in the manual.

The problem was mostly in the Colour Wheel Index setting. It was off enough that I was getting lots of false contouring, particularly around bright objects against a dark background. (like in The Village, when everyone has gas lanterns and torches for light at night). In the procedures for setting the Colour Wheel Index you hit the RECALL button on the remote and built in colour ramps come up and let you see what is going on. It becomes easier at that point because the ramp is either smooth or it has obvious steps to it.
Mr. Paw,

I would love to get rid of the banding artifacts in my Panny. Do you think that this color wheel adjustment is something a semi-savvy user could do, or is it too complicated and would need to be done by a technician? I would like to do it myself - I've been in the service menu before, but I'm not sure if the steps you've outlined are detailed enough. Can you elaborate on what buttons are used to adjust the color ramp settings and to move on to the next color?

Thanks,

Scott

In todays Sunday paper Best Buy is advertising the new model 61" Panasonic DLP.