Philips 42" Plasma (42PF7320A) [Text View] - Page 3

RogerS

02-22-06, 10:58 AM

I just picked up this TV last night from Sam's Club. Mine came with the 1.0.8 software installed. Everything is working just about perfectly.

The only issue is I am unable to select the Preferred Channels option from the menu to delete some encrypted channels that the autoprogram picked up. Is anyone else having that problem? When I used the cursor button on the remote and press down to select that option it wont let me choose that option.

I can see that the latest update apparently stops the autoprogram from adding those encrypted channels to your channel list. It doesnt say anyting about fixing the problem I am having though..

FYI, after I updated my software to version 1.0.13 my problem with not being able to select the Preferred Channels option went away. Now I can delete channels from my channel list with no problems.

So with the QAM tuner I am getting all the time warner network channels in hd for no additional charge.

Very happy with my purchase. Also Sams offers a 3 year extended warranty for $200 which I added to my purchase.

Sweet T

02-22-06, 01:15 PM

I have these small squiggly lines in the bottom right of my screen that almost look like a snake. I can't tell if they are the product of a bad connection or if the screen is going bad (a la a notebook computer). I don't notice it on the DVD player, but certainly do sometimes on the Xbox 360, but most notably on the cable. I have a Yamaha RX-V2600 with HDMI to the TV, the DVD hooked up to the receiver via HDMI, and the other two units hooked up via component. Any answers?

black_macleod

02-22-06, 02:01 PM

Yea move the picture down some using the arrow buttons on the remote.

Hef

02-22-06, 02:29 PM

RogerS

02-22-06, 02:44 PM

Its odd that you werent impressed by the picture. I suppose the input signal makes a big difference. My hd picture is incredible. I am just using regular time warner cable via coax fed directly to the tv. I dont know how mine could be any more clear. AI last night was like they were in the room with us. Now standard definition stations look poor for sure. We generally use another crt rptv for watching standard definition channels.

btw - at Sams they told me I could return for up to 6 months. I did keep my boxes though..

hacketjoe

02-23-06, 08:23 AM

I just purchased this set two days ago and while I was watching it last night I noticed some problems. It started out that when a scene would change you would get a quick glimpse of some lines on the screen and when someone would motion you would see the color sweep. Then it got worse. By the end of the show you were seeing line all over the place like the digital process was taking place if that makes any sense and there was some sort of interference. I turned it off for a little while and when I cut it back on it was back to normal.

I still have the ability to return the TV if that seems necessary, but of course it is a huge hassell and who knows when I could find another. Has anyone else seen this problem? As I said before the best way to describe it is almost an interferance look. It is not constant and tends to follow movement or change in scenes. I assume if there was a static picture it would look fine.

ujsplace

02-23-06, 08:40 AM

Well I saw my mom and dad's 7320A and I have to say I wasn't very impressed. On DISH standard channels it looked "watchable" at best, but I didn't really expect anything different. When watching HD like PBS or the Olympics I did expect it to shine and hear again I was a bit let down. If I had to guess what type of picture I was watching I would have said last year's LCD or so-so Plasma. It just didn't seem to have the detail that I've I felt I've seen on other Plasma namely the Panasonics, even the EDTV version would look be an overall better buy IMHO. I set the settings to the one directly above in this thread and that seemed the best. Our local bar has some new Panasonic 43" LCD and I remember seeing the Olympics shot where they're going over the mountains and the LCD had more detail in it then my parents 7320A. I doubt that they would take it back, but they did get it at SAM's Club, but my brother did throw the boxes away.
I would check the cables and replace them if necessary. I found really good cables at Monoprice.com. I have had this tv since 1/24 and have been extremely happy with it. The hd picture is incredible and the standard def pictures are just that (standard def). Some of the standard def channels do come in better than others, but overall it is pretty consistent, whereas the hd pq is very consistent. My only problem with the hd display is with some channels (specifically, the NFL network) insist on showing some programming in 4:3 and as a result, there are grey bars on the side of the screen. I think this is the broadcast itself, but if anyone has any ideas, please let me know. I am using a MOXI cable box (hdmi #1)with an hdmi/dvi cable and the hd pictures are incredible. On av1 I am using a Samsung (??) with component cables using prograssive scan mode and this looks awesome as well. Good luck with the set. I hope it works out...

Steve

42Plasmaman

02-23-06, 10:09 AM

42Plasmaman

02-23-06, 10:13 AM

Muted sound issue

So, I've upgraded to the latest FW version to hopefully correct the black screen issue but now I have another issue.

When I'm watching movies on cable(Comcast Digital), several times, the volume will mute.
At first, I thought this was the movie/cable but then the volume never returned.

If I change channels on the TV(not the digital cable channel), then the sound returns. Changing to a different digital channel has no effect.
It's the TV that has muted.

Anytime I get this muted sound issue, I can resolve it by changing to any channel other than the one I'm watching. When I return to the channel I'm watching for digital cable, the sound is back too.

Has anyone else encountered an issue with the sound completely muting during a movie and never returning unless you change to a different TV channel ?

btw:
I know the TV mute isn't On because I can see the Volume bar on the TV and it has no effect.
The Mute sound icon also isn't displayed on the screen during this muted issue.

black_macleod

02-23-06, 10:22 AM

Sorry can't help you there, I don't use the TV's speakers.

CD70

02-23-06, 10:47 AM

Tiga

02-23-06, 11:12 AM

Well I saw my mom and dad's 7320A and I have to say I wasn't very impressed. On DISH standard channels it looked "watchable" at best, but I didn't really expect anything different. When watching HD like PBS or the Olympics I did expect it to shine and hear again I was a bit let down. If I had to guess what type of picture I was watching I would have said last year's LCD or so-so Plasma. It just didn't seem to have the detail that I've I felt I've seen on other Plasma namely the Panasonics, even the EDTV version would look be an overall better buy IMHO. I set the settings to the one directly above in this thread and that seemed the best. Our local bar has some new Panasonic 43" LCD and I remember seeing the Olympics shot where they're going over the mountains and the LCD had more detail in it then my parents 7320A. I doubt that they would take it back, but they did get it at SAM's Club, but my brother did throw the boxes away.

I'm sort of suprised by that as I have this tv and Dish HD and it's great. HD is amazing. Sorry for the dumb question but do your parents have a Dish HD receiver? If they do have the HD receiver go into the receiver's menu settings and make sure the box is putting out a HD signal (I think 1080 works best). When the dish guy came and set up mine he left it putting out a 480p signal, and everything really looked bad. Hopefully this is all that it is and not a bad tv. Good luck.

Tiga

black_macleod

02-23-06, 11:24 AM

ujsplace

The gray bars on the NFL network are a result of the broadcast. ESPNHD does the same thing, the network is an HD network but they broadcast a lot of stuff in SD and insert the bars automatically. It is a real drag when the TV will stretch 4:3 to 16:9 but the broadcast signal prevents it. If you find a way to stretch those out of the screen let me know, I have not found a way yet on my plasma or my CRT rear projection HD.

CD70

I dont' think there is any way to do it. I actually don't mind the gray bars / ESPN logo as much as I hate when FOX or some other network shows SD stuff and puts their tiny Station Logo outside the picture, thereby confusing my tv and it wont stretch either.

:rolleyes:

42Plasmaman

02-23-06, 11:58 AM

Sorry can't help you there, I don't use the TV's speakers.
Hum... I do have the audio out connected to my stereo.

I'll try and turn it on next time this happens and see if it's just the TV speakers or audio out in general.

ujsplace

02-23-06, 01:57 PM

ujsplace

The gray bars on the NFL network are a result of the broadcast. ESPNHD does the same thing, the network is an HD network but they broadcast a lot of stuff in SD and insert the bars automatically. It is a real drag when the TV will stretch 4:3 to 16:9 but the broadcast signal prevents it. If you find a way to stretch those out of the screen let me know, I have not found a way yet on my plasma or my CRT rear projection HD.

CD70
Thanks, I wish I knew...minor annoyance. When I first had the HD box installed, NFL HD was one of the first I checked and coincidentally, it was widescreen. I guess that maybe during the season there is more broadcast in widescreen. Like you said, I noticed this on a few others like ESPN and Comcast Sportsnet...at least the games are widescreen...

ujsplace

02-23-06, 01:59 PM

I dont' think there is any way to do it. I actually don't mind the gray bars / ESPN logo as much as I hate when FOX or some other network shows SD stuff and puts their tiny Station Logo outside the picture, thereby confusing my tv and it wont stretch either.

:rolleyes:
That has driven me crazy on more than one occasion...
:confused:

Hef

02-23-06, 04:03 PM

Well on my mom and dad's TV the HD content I was watching was OTA, a lot of Olympics, and some PBS and CBS. Don't get me wrong, in HD it wasn't bad, and switching it from dish locals to OTA HD I did see a sizeable difference, but on some plasmas you see a night and day "wow" difference going from SD to HD. It did seem to fall short of that and some in my family had preferred the DISH locals to the HD channels, so you know there's something wrong right there, but they are 80 so take that into account also and then after I showed them the extra detail they seem to appreciate the HD difference. I also like a very sharp contrasty type picture and in my mind am comparing it to some Panasonics I've seen lately, so that's where I'm coming from. On one particular visual cue, by memory, is the castle or chateau the helicopter goes over in and onto another mountain range (on the Olympics opening sequence) just didn't seem as detail as the Panny (of course I'm going by memory, but feel sure about this). I did play with the sharpness settings.

They did have the the 1.0.4 firmware and I was hesitant to upgrade it to the latest 1.0.13 because then I would be owning the TV in some way if something went wrong. Is it possible the TV's visual performance (esp. the OTA HD) would improve noticeably with this firmware upgrade (they aren't using any HDMI sources)?

black_macleod

02-23-06, 04:40 PM

What cables are they using from the Dish receiver to the TV?

Hef

02-23-06, 04:49 PM

What cables are they using from the Dish receiver to the TV?

Pacific Cable component cables, but it's not so much the SD performance I'm worried about as the HD channels which are OTA.

black_macleod

02-23-06, 04:53 PM

Oh so you're using the internal OTA tuner?

Hef

02-23-06, 05:05 PM

Yes for HD.

hacketjoe

02-23-06, 08:04 PM

danfiveoh

02-24-06, 12:48 AM

jdef

02-24-06, 06:41 AM

ujsplace

The gray bars on the NFL network are a result of the broadcast. ESPNHD does the same thing, the network is an HD network but they broadcast a lot of stuff in SD and insert the bars automatically. It is a real drag when the TV will stretch 4:3 to 16:9 but the broadcast signal prevents it. If you find a way to stretch those out of the screen let me know, I have not found a way yet on my plasma or my CRT rear projection HD.

CD70

You may be able to zoom or stretch on your cable box. The SA8300 does this. There's a button on the remote for it. Looks good.

Tiga

02-24-06, 09:13 AM

Yes for HD.

Hef, sorry again if this a dumb comment but I just want to help. Did they run the autoprogram and scan all channels to assure they were pulling in the digital signal?

My only other thought is do you know what settings the tv might be using. The factory ones are kind of crappy and the picture can be really improved by changing to some of the setting mentioned in the thread. Good luck.

Tiga

42Plasmaman

02-24-06, 10:32 AM

My issue was not like the pictures on page 15 of this thread. First of all they were horizontal, secondly they didn't cover the entire screen. It looked more like the TV was trying to process something. My thought today was possibly I was getting interference from maybe the drier, because I had just turned it on last night when I first saw it. But I could not duplicate the problem today.

Do you have a power conditioner/surge protecter and cable filter ?

If not, you may want to invest in one.
Make sure to get a Monster or other high quality brand name.
Don't go the cheap route for this kind of filtering/protection for your expensive equipment.

rugbycard

02-24-06, 08:40 PM

Prior to my installing the latest upgrade about 1 1/2 weeks ago, I started to get the black screen problem once or twice an evening and it started to get worse. At one point, my TV dropped the video and audio for about 1 minute. I couldn't power it off with the remote... NOTHING. That is when I called tech support.

You should do the same (call them). The more complaints they get, the more they will realize this is a very real problem and fix it. Be prepared... they are going to tell you things like 'Hmmmm, that is strange. Do you have the latest firmware? Unplug the TV for 2 minutes. If this doesn't work, you are going to have to call a technician". Just go through the motions as I am sure they have a department that reviews the nature of the calls coming in. At least I hope so. Thankfully, this was a Costco purchase and I am putting my receipt in a safety deposit box. lol

Something else that is weird... just like your problem with the menu on the Star Wars III DVD, I noticed that my black screen issue was most repeatable on the station WTBS. It seemed that when one of those blue or green commercials advertising 'Everybody Loves Raymod' on WTBS would come on, I would get the black screen. I told the tech this, but he just brushed it off. Someone else here was saying that they thought it was also related to the video signal coming in... a few pages back.
I just bought this tv yesterday and also have the black screen problem.

I have an old onkyo dvd player -non progressive - hooked up by component and have tried both av1 and av3 inputs on the tv and both inputs display the black screen.

Any on screen signal from the dvd player causes the black screen until that onscreen signal or icon goes away, so you push pause, the dvd player tries to show "pause" on the tv screen but the screen goes black until the pause icon is gone. Push play and the dvd sends the on screen "play" signal to the tv and the tv goes black until the signal icon is gone. Can't use the dvd menus at all because the tv screen goes black. The picture and sound are still being sent to the tv but the tv isn't displaying them or cant' handle them along with the on screen displays from the dvd player? The onscreen dvd signals are mostly bright white.
I also tried the thx setup thing on the Incredibles dvd and the tv really freaks out over that...goes black, flickers on and off, goes black, flicker, flicker, flicker. The thx screens have lots of white text.
Can this tv not handle bright white text or bright white displays? I'll see if I can also find a dvd with a scene that shows a lot of bright white, a cartoon perhaps, but that might be difficult since the tv screen goes black when I use the dvd controls.
First post...come on!!

Muskeg

02-24-06, 08:49 PM

My parents had these same flickering problems when they hooked up their old dvd player via component. A new dvd player solved it (hdmi).

ujsplace

02-25-06, 12:10 AM

I just bought this tv yesterday and also have the black screen problem.

I have an old onkyo dvd player -non progressive - hooked up by component and have tried both av1 and av3 inputs on the tv and both inputs display the black screen.

Any on screen signal from the dvd player causes the black screen until that onscreen signal or icon goes away, so you push pause, the dvd player tries to show "pause" on the tv screen but the screen goes black until the pause icon is gone. Push play and the dvd sends the on screen "play" signal to the tv and the tv goes black until the signal icon is gone. Can't use the dvd menus at all because the tv screen goes black. The picture and sound are still being sent to the tv but the tv isn't displaying them or cant' handle them along with the on screen displays from the dvd player? The onscreen dvd signals are mostly bright white.
I also tried the thx setup thing on the Incredibles dvd and the tv really freaks out over that...goes black, flickers on and off, goes black, flicker, flicker, flicker. The thx screens have lots of white text.
Can this tv not handle bright white text or bright white displays? I'll see if I can also find a dvd with a scene that shows a lot of bright white, a cartoon perhaps, but that might be difficult since the tv screen goes black when I use the dvd controls.
First post...come on!!
I have noticed this problem as well, but only when using interlaced as opposed to progressive on the dvd player. While using interlaced the dvd seems to eventually play fine, but will occasionally go black during playback. Also while using interlaced, the dvd menu screen is almost rendered useless. Sometimes I would select a menu option and the cursor or selection box would be 2 -3 steps behind before finally catching up. However, since I have used the progressive setting (this is my first HD and I never used progressive) the problem has been resolved and it operates flawlessly. Based on my limited experience it would seem that the dvd player may be the culprit. I hope this helps

Steve

JohnnyTL

02-25-06, 08:40 AM

I just bought this tv yesterday and also have the black screen problem.

I have an old onkyo dvd player -non progressive - hooked up by component and have tried both av1 and av3 inputs on the tv and both inputs display the black screen.

Any on screen signal from the dvd player causes the black screen until that onscreen signal or icon goes away, so you push pause, the dvd player tries to show "pause" on the tv screen but the screen goes black until the pause icon is gone. Push play and the dvd sends the on screen "play" signal to the tv and the tv goes black until the signal icon is gone. Can't use the dvd menus at all because the tv screen goes black. The picture and sound are still being sent to the tv but the tv isn't displaying them or cant' handle them along with the on screen displays from the dvd player? The onscreen dvd signals are mostly bright white.
I also tried the thx setup thing on the Incredibles dvd and the tv really freaks out over that...goes black, flickers on and off, goes black, flicker, flicker, flicker. The thx screens have lots of white text.
Can this tv not handle bright white text or bright white displays? I'll see if I can also find a dvd with a scene that shows a lot of bright white, a cartoon perhaps, but that might be difficult since the tv screen goes black when I use the dvd controls.
First post...come on!!

I have seen this problem as well using an older DVD player hooked up with component cables. I get the black screen once or twice during playback (not with every DVD). Starwars episode III causes the problem every time at the setup menu (very bright screen). I believe that we have a defective TV, since I have seen the problem on occasion (once per week) watching cable (using HDMI port). I plan on returning the TV to COSTCO when they get some more 50 inchers in stock (unless Philips releases a firmware upgrade that fixes the problem).

ecbrow1

02-25-06, 10:09 AM

Hello-

Maybe I'm just being an idiot, but I just can't seem to get the latest firmware loaded. Here's what I've tried:

1. DL and unzip upgrade file
2. Turn off TV
3. Disconnect Cable and DVD Player
4. Insert thumb drive
5. Press button on right side of TV

The TV just comes back on, no auto upgrade. I've powered it off, let it sit for a few minutes, then repeated steps 4 and 5 all over again. Noting doing.

I've even tried the 'manual upgrade' by putting the file into an 'upgrades' folder. Nothing.
The auto upgrade has worked for me in the past. The online docs don't show me much. Is there a step I'm leaving out? Should I unplug the power?

TIA for any insight.

-ecb

black_macleod

02-25-06, 10:28 AM

ecbrow1

02-25-06, 10:33 AM

That usually means:

Upgrade file isnt on the root folder of the thumb drive
or
You already have the latest firmware installed.

Thanks for the input, BM.

The file is in the root folder on the thumb drive.

My current firmware rev is 1.0.13.0_0

I'm trying to upgrade to 1.0.13.0_01441

edit, OT: I still have the previous upgrade file on my laptop. I can run a diff on the two to see if I really need it.

ecbrow1

02-25-06, 10:39 AM

OK, I've checked, and I don't need the upgrade.

*smacks head*

The version on the menu cuts off after 1.0.13.0_0.... That's what threw me off

black_macleod

02-25-06, 10:57 AM

OK, I've checked, and I don't need the upgrade.

*smacks head*

The version on the menu cuts off after 1.0.13.0_0.... That's what threw me off

Hehe, I think I did the same thing once :-)

zugi

02-25-06, 10:56 PM

I Got This Tv Back On Jan 3/2006..when I Got To Best Buy Sales Pearson Tried To Convince Me To Buy Panasonic. Had A Look At The Options Between Philips And Panasonic, And Of Course Philips Was Set Up In Such A Way So It Would Look Like Piece Of Crap. Had Options On The Philips Adjusted Same Way As Panasonic..o La..sales Pearson Told Me That He Has Never Seen Philips So Nice.
I Am Extrimly Happy With My Philips. It Has Tons Of Inputs Like 2 Hdmi Vs. Panasonic 1 Only (cheap Bustards).
Picture Quality Is Great With My Expressvu 9200 Hd Receiver Via Hdmi. Even Sd Is Good.
Connected Up Converting Dvd Player To It Via Hdmi And I Was Not To Happy. It Looks Better When I Connect My Jvc Via Component.
Another Thing Is That It Will Acept Both Ntsc And Pal Standards.
Great Tv :)

zugi

02-25-06, 10:59 PM

Another Thing Is That This Philips Was Can$1600 Cheaper That A Panasonic.
This Tv Rocks....

rugbycard

02-26-06, 06:35 PM

Any on screen signal from the dvd player causes the black screen until that onscreen signal or icon goes away, so you push pause, the dvd player tries to show "pause" on the tv screen but the screen goes black until the pause icon is gone. Push play and the dvd sends the on screen "play" signal to the tv and the tv goes black until the signal icon is gone. Can't use the dvd menus at all because the tv screen goes black. The picture and sound are still being sent to the tv but the tv isn't displaying them or cant' handle them along with the on screen displays from the dvd player? The onscreen dvd signals are mostly bright white.
I also tried the thx setup thing on the Incredibles dvd and the tv really freaks out over that...goes black, flickers on and off, goes black, flicker, flicker, flicker. The thx screens have lots of white text.
Can this tv not handle bright white text or bright white displays? I'll see if I can also find a dvd with a scene that shows a lot of bright white, a cartoon perhaps, but that might be difficult since the tv screen goes black when I use the dvd controls.
First post...come on!!

My problem with the black screen while using the dvd player controls was with The Incredibles but the tv can display the dvd icons and menus with some other DVDs. I tried The Family Guy - season 3 disk 1 - and the dvd player menu could be displayed but within the first 7 minutes or so of the first episode the screen went black or had problems and flickered about 10 times. Each time the screen had a combination of lots of white and "camera movement", it was mostly reproducible but flickered in slightly different spots on a few scenes.
I plan on holding onto the set until the new panasonic dvd recorders come out and see how the set works with one of those connected with HDMI. I haven't had any flickering or black screen with cable from the wall directly into the tv.

42Plasmaman

02-27-06, 11:33 AM

Hum... I do have the audio out connected to my stereo.

I'll try and turn it on next time this happens and see if it's just the TV speakers or audio out in general.
When the TV would mute the audio, it muted the audio output as well to the stereo.
I'm running the latest FW version 1.0.13

Only thing I've adjusted that may effect this is I set the Sound Delta to 5.
I put it back to 0 and reset the TV and the issue hasn't happened since.

Since I upgraded to the latest 1.0.13 FW, I haven't had the black screen issue either.

(Crosses fingers and hope issues are resolved.)

Jerry808

02-27-06, 04:03 PM

nerdzoo

02-27-06, 08:26 PM

I updated to the new firmware and unplugged the TV and still get the blackscreen, although a lot less frequently. I noticed something odd yesterday when the screen went out and it had to do with my SA 8300HD DVR set top box. Is anybody else using this and does or doesn't have the black screen issue? I connect this STB via HDMI and I'm starting to wonder if when the STB receives updates it is causing a power interuption even if I'm not watching the STB.

CaseyJones posted a plausible cause for this (posting on page 8, Post #216). Here's what he posted:

"I think you might have a handshake problem. This can happen especially using HDMI and DVI cabling. Some on this forum have reported that it can be eliminated by turning on specific devices in a particular order. For instance it has been reported that by turning on the STB first then the panel the handshake can be made and intermittent screen flashes or blank screen are all but eliminated."

Every now and then, when I forget to turn the STB first before turning on the TV, I experience this 5-second black screen and loss of audio. See if you can trigger this by turning on the TV first before turning on the STB. It's worth observing.

3horns

02-27-06, 11:10 PM

I have to agree with Nerdzoo. I think CaseyJones' message quoted above was a response to one of my posts many pages ago. Since I have set the macro on my remote to always power on the cable box before the TV, I have not once (knock on wood) had the black screen problem again...and that has been like 6 weeks or more now.

As I have mentioned before, I am very pleased with this panel and would rec. to anyone looking for a 42" panel. For the price, I truely believe it can't be beat.

black_macleod

02-28-06, 12:06 AM

I guess I'm lucky, there's no way to even turn my Moxi box OFF, hehe.

Hef

02-28-06, 12:17 AM

Sparco

02-28-06, 12:23 AM

Well I went to Circuit City today when I learned by phone that the Philips 7320 was right above the Panasonic EDTV and they have Dish HD on. I went there and let me tell you it was no contest. If you had to quess which TV was the HD and which was the EDTV you would have thought the 7320 was the EDTV and Panasonic the HDTV. The Panasonic had more detail and better color definition. In fact, I know of nothing the Philips did better. The Philips had a much more softer picture. I also checked the settings out and they were in line with what others discussed here (I did fiddlie with the settings while I was there). I will also say that the CC 7320 seemed right in line with my mom and dad's 7320 in picture quality. I'm happy for those of you that are happy with your 7320, but for those checking out this thread for perspective buying information I'd strongly suggest you check out a Pansonic EDTV or HDTV. BTW a EDTV has less resolution, but unless you stay within 8ft, a 42in. EDTV should look the same as a HDTV, this is suppose to be a rule of thumb. In case of the Panny vs the Philips, it seems to be superior no matter what the viewing distance.
That's really not fair because I'm sure they were feeding the sets with just an EDTV signal.

Hef

02-28-06, 01:39 AM

No they had HD Discovery channel on, it's a rather new Circuit City. In fact, they feed all the HDTVs sets the same feed, so I also saw it on Sony XRDs, etc. it was HD alright.

black_macleod

02-28-06, 01:44 AM

Then you need to see your eye doctor pretty soon.

ujsplace

02-28-06, 09:40 AM

Well I went to Circuit City today when I learned by phone that the Philips 7320 was right above the Panasonic EDTV and they're feeding them Dish HD. I went there and let me tell you it was no contest. If you had to quess which TV was the HD and which was the EDTV you would have thought the 7320 was the EDTV and Panasonic the HDTV. The Panasonic had more detail and better color definition. In fact, I know of nothing the Philips did better. The Philips had a much more softer picture. I also checked the settings out and they were in line with what others discussed here (I did fiddlie with the settings while I was there). I will also say that the CC 7320 seemed right in line with my mom and dad's 7320 in picture quality. I'm happy for those of you that are happy with your 7320, but for those checking out this thread for perspective buying information I'd strongly suggest you check out a Pansonic EDTV or HDTV. BTW a EDTV has less resolution, but unless you stay within 8ft, a 42in. EDTV should look the same as a HDTV, this is suppose to be a rule of thumb. In case of the Panny vs the Philips, it seems to be superior no matter what the viewing distance.
My wife and I selected the Philips after a great deal of research as well as a great deal of in store viewing and we ended up buying ours at Sears, but no matter where we went the pq was amazing. I actually recall viewing the Panasonic EDTV at Sears and had the exact opposite opinion. The pq was nice, but just not at the same level of the Philips. That is why I bought this set. Obviously, if your eyes transmit the signal to your brain and the EDTV gives you a better picture, then go with the Panny. Good luck...

Hef

02-28-06, 10:26 AM

My wike and I selected the Philips after a great deal of research as well as a great deal of in store viewing and we ended up buying ours at Sears, but no matter where we went the pq was amazing.

I'm curious, at Sears where they using a HD source and if so was it a taped loop or a channel like Dish or OTA?

kypassat

02-28-06, 10:31 AM

I picked up the 42PF9630A yesterday and I can't say enough on how great the PQ is. Can someone with the Philips share their settings they are using during the break in period? Can't wait to get home to turn on Discovery HD and drool.... :p

Also, one more recap on setting up the dual ambilight would also be great!

THanks!
kypassat

MacroProd

02-28-06, 10:32 AM

The Panasonic had more detail and better color definition. In fact, I know of nothing the Philips did better.

When I purchased this TV my Costco had the Panasonic EDTV right next to the Philips with an HD signal from VOOM. I wanted to like the Panny more because it is so highly regarded here on the forum. I didn't care that it cost more. The fact is, the Philips HDTV did have a better PQ than the Panny EDTV. I don't know how you coudln't see a difference. It was clear to me.

42Plasmaman

02-28-06, 10:42 AM

When the TV would mute the audio, it muted the audio output as well to the stereo.
I'm running the latest FW version 1.0.13

Only thing I've adjusted that may effect this is I set the Sound Delta to 5.
I put it back to 0 and reset the TV and the issue hasn't happened since.

Since I upgraded to the latest 1.0.13 FW, I haven't had the black screen issue either.

(Crosses fingers and hope issues are resolved.)
Well, the muted/lost sound/audio happend to me about 7 times within 2 hours yesterday while watching an OnDemand movie. It also happend twice in 30 minutes while I was watching Seinfeld.

Not sure what to say unless there is some in the TV signal(OTA) that is telling the TV to mute but the TV isn't in mute mode because adjusting the volume level has no effect. I just lose sound like it's been muted.
The only way to get my sound back is if I change the channel on the TV to any channel then change back to ch.3 for the digital cable(Comcast).

Any suggestions/comments ?

btw:
At the Sears where I bought my TV, they were using component video/audio for the picture on the Phillips and it looked great compared to all the EDTV's they had.

ujsplace

02-28-06, 12:29 PM

I'm curious, at Sears where they using a HD source and if so was it a taped loop or a channel like Dish or OTA?
I am not 100% certain, but I believe that it was a loop. The reason I say this is because that it seems like every time I went to Sears it seemed to always be similar programming. This included times where I was not really even in the market for an HD set, just browsing. Sears had the best price for this unit at the time, but I did see it at Circuit City as well...

ujsplace

02-28-06, 12:37 PM

Well, the muted/lost sound/audio happend to me about 7 times within 2 hours yesterday while watching an OnDemand movie. It also happend twice in 30 minutes while I was watching Seinfeld.

Not sure what to say unless there is some in the TV signal(OTA) that is telling the TV to mute but the TV isn't in mute mode because adjusting the volume level has no effect. I just lose sound like it's been muted.
The only way to get my sound back is if I change the channel on the TV to any channel then change back to ch.3 for the digital cable(Comcast).

Any suggestions/comments ?

btw:
At the Sears where I bought my TV, they were using component video/audio for the picture on the Phillips and it looked great compared to all the EDTV's they had.
Just out of curiosity, is anyone using the cable card instead of a converter box?

ShaunAtk

02-28-06, 01:05 PM

I bought this TV about 3 weeks ago or so, and love it so far. I haven't watched any Hi-def TV with it yet other than XBOX 360, I'm waiting for my pocketbook to recover after purchasing this TV and a 7.1 Onkyo surround sound setup :) (wanting to purchase the HDTivo from DirecTV)

Anyways, has anyone had any luck hooking the TV up to your computer? I'm using a 9600XT ATI Radeon with SVideo out, and running it to the side of the TV using an SVideo cable (which I know the cable is good, I use the same one to watch my DirecTV), but nothing is happening.

Thanks.

Jerry808

02-28-06, 02:09 PM

nerdzoo, thanks for the info. My recent "blackout" occurred while I was watching a DVD and my STB was turned off. However, when the blackout occured, my STB flickered and went through a reset (best way to describe...not really sure what happened to the STB). With all that being said, I may still have the issue you described since my DVD player was connected to the TV via HDMI and I can't recall the order I turned each device on. If I understand correctly? each time I want to use my STB or DVD (both connected via HDMI) then I must make sure the TV is turned off when I turn on the HDMI connected device? This sucks if I was already watching a DVD and then switch to STB. Lastly, I have another dvd player connected to the TV with component cables and the "blackout" has occured in the past but not since the last firmware update, but havent tested enough to be sure. Thanks guys for all your input and help!

Giancarl0

02-28-06, 04:50 PM

Anyways, has anyone had any luck hooking the TV up to your computer? I'm using a 9600XT ATI Radeon with SVideo out, and running it to the side of the TV using an SVideo cable (which I know the cable is good, I use the same one to watch my DirecTV), but nothing is happening.

I hook up my powerbook via dvi/hdmi (1 or 2) - all OK with mine.

Just out of curiosity, is anyone using the cable card instead of a converter box?
I'm using neither... nor an antenna... local hd channels come in super crisp and clear off the wall jack. (nyc cablevision basic feed)

ShaunAtk

02-28-06, 05:57 PM

I hook up my powerbook via dvi/hdmi (1 or 2) - all OK with mine.

I'm using neither... nor an antenna... local hd channels come in super crisp and clear off the wall jack. (nyc cablevision basic feed)

So what'd you do, just plug it in and you were good to go?

Elian_NWA

02-28-06, 06:10 PM

every philips plasma i've ever had on my plasma wall or on display at my CC has had problems with its component inputs. you wont catch me dead buying a philips.

btw PD50U>7320A or 9630A

Hef

02-28-06, 06:37 PM

BTW, went to one more CC and one Sears today (just to make sure I was giving the Philips a fair shake) and still felt the Panny was far superior in all the areas I mentioned earlier (the Sears Panny was the HDTV version).

black_macleod

02-28-06, 07:24 PM

So what'd you do, just plug it in and you were good to go?

I've also used my Powerbook via DVI/HDMI and yes, it was plug and play.

ujsplace

02-28-06, 08:18 PM

every philips plasma i've ever had on my plasma wall or on display at my CC has had problems with its component inputs. you wont catch me dead buying a philips.

btw PD50U>7320A or 9630A
With all due respect, that makes no sense. Component technology has been around for a while and the parts used are pretty much standard. It's kind of like a pci slot on a pc in the sense that it is just a means of relaying data (or a signal) to the motherboard. Could you elaborate on why the component connections on the Philips differ from those of for example, a Panasonic? For what it's worth, I was using component cables from my MOXI box, which came with the MOXI service and the pq was incredible. I opted to ue an HDMI cable from the MOXI box and use the component to my dvd player. I did this not because the component cables did not produce a the desired pq, but only because the dvd player does not have and HDMI or DVI port.

42Plasmaman

02-28-06, 08:37 PM

every philips plasma i've ever had on my plasma wall or on display at my CC has had problems with its component inputs. you wont catch me dead buying a philips.

btw PD50U>7320A or 9630A
Well for double the price, I hope it's superior.

I paid a whole $1800 for mine and the good panasonics I've seen cost around +$3500 at the cheapest for HDTV.
All the EDTV I've seen at CC, BB, Sears and Video Only suck balls compared to even the no name brand HDTV's.
The large pixel resolution is gaude aweful on EDTV. Maybe the color might be better on some brands but the resolution is comparable to a 250:1 17 inch LCD monitor.

You won't catch me dead paying over $2000 for a TV that I watch 10-12 hours a week.

I guess if you live on the TV and play video games, then maybe it's worth spending double the price for bragging rights for your friends.

black_macleod

02-28-06, 08:50 PM

With all due respect, that makes no sense. Component technology has been around for a while and the parts used are pretty much standard. It's kind of like a pci slot on a pc in the sense that it is just a means of relaying data (or a signal) to the motherboard. Could you elaborate on why the component connections on the Philips differ from those of for example, a Panasonic? For what it's worth, I was using component cables from my MOXI box, which came with the MOXI service and the pq was incredible. I opted to ue an HDMI cable from the MOXI box and use the component to my dvd player. I did this not because the component cables did not produce a the desired pq, but only because the dvd player does not have and HDMI or DVI port.

I'm the opposite, I use DVI/HDMI from my DVD player and component from my Moxi and both look excellent.

zugi

02-28-06, 10:59 PM

zugi

02-28-06, 11:07 PM

It has been 3 months now since i bought my Philips at BB. It has been great. I have my satelite HD connected via HDMI, Had a PANASONIC DVD-S77 connected to my 2nd HDMI, Pansaonic DVD player has been retured to BB as picture quality is not that great, so now i got JVC DVD XV-NP10S connected to my component input and also PS@ connected to a component.
In the comming weeks i will connect my PC to my 2nd HDMI and will see how that goes.

jord533

03-01-06, 12:52 AM

i was at my local electronics store today and they said that this model was discontinued. is this true? they also said that they would be getting a new model in march.

has anyone heard anything about this?

sorry if i missed it somewhere.

Tiga

03-01-06, 08:49 AM

every philips plasma i've ever had on my plasma wall or on display at my CC has had problems with its component inputs. you wont catch me dead buying a philips.

btw PD50U>7320A or 9630A

Hmmmm.....not sure what to say here. My component inputs on my Phillips are great. THe pic quality is practically the same as when I use HDMI from my Dish HD receiver. (which is excellent). I also have seen this tv next to the Panny EDTV at CC and Sears. Once I adjusted the settings I thought the picture on the Phillips was far better than the Panny. Cheers.

MacroProd

03-01-06, 09:20 AM

bluemax50

03-01-06, 09:54 AM

42Plasmaman

03-01-06, 10:14 AM

I don't own a Philips Plasma but a good friend of mine owns the 42Pf7320A and suffers from the screen blackout issue. He is connected to Comcast cable via a Motorola 6200 series cable box feeding into a component input on the TV.The problem happens from what he tells me a few times a week for 5 seconds or so . It will be interesting to see what is actually causing this problem. By the way he isn't to concerned about the problem and the picture quality is abolutely awesome on this set.
Well, the new thing I'm doing now is to make sure the cablebox is on FIRST than the TV.

I noticed that when I use the Comcast remote with the ALL ON button, sometimes the TV comes on before the cablebox.

I now turn on the cablebox than the TV individually.

I read somewhere that doing this resolved other issues.

I'm hoping it will do something about my intermittent audio mute.
I haven't seen the black screen since my upgrade to 1.0.13 FW.

JohnnyTL

03-01-06, 11:34 AM

Well... I agree with most of the folks here. I do like the Philips, which is why I bought it.

BUT, lastnight I got the black screen issue again during a broadcast of the O'Reilly factor. No wise cracks please! :)
I am using a SA 8300HD connected via component video cables. It lasted for a period of 5 seconds or more. This was the first occurrence in about 2 weeks.

I sure wish we could all get this resolved somehow. This is the TV's only drawback... and a dealbreaker for me if it continues.

I too got the black screen of death last night while watching a DVD. I had swapped out my SA8300HD for a new one. The cable box was off when the black screen occured, so it could not have been due to a cable box auto update as suggested by a previous post. I too like the picture and am otherwise happy with the set, however I can't imagine keeping the set with the black screen issue as it will probably get worse over time.

black_macleod

03-01-06, 11:47 AM

Man I'm glad mine's never done this.

zugi

03-01-06, 12:35 PM

:) I too got the black screen of death last night while watching a DVD. I had swapped out my SA8300HD for a new one. The cable box was off when the black screen occured, so it could not have been due to a cable box auto update as suggested by a previous post. I too like the picture and am otherwise happy with the set, however I can't imagine keeping the set with the black screen issue as it will probably get worse over time.

When I originally got my Philips, once in a while i would get black screen. I looked like tv was restarting. Did some research and found that all Plazmas and LCD's are transformerless, meaning in an instance when there are power flactuactions there is nothing to take beating. Like with old CRT tubes, which hade transformers. So i spoke o couple of my budies and they all invested money into a good surge protector. Since then i bought MonsterPower HTS1600 and my blackouts are gone. Only time when i get my blackout is when i change chanells on my satellite HD receiver which is normal :)

zugi

03-01-06, 12:40 PM

after all, philips makes the best medical equipment,so next time you go to hospital, think about it. 99% it is philips stuff. Just imagine if that was Panasonic or Sony or.........I rather be above ground that 8ft below

ShaunAtk

03-01-06, 01:05 PM

I've also used my Powerbook via DVI/HDMI and yes, it was plug and play.

I'm going to pick up a DVI/HDMI cable today when I get off work.

I'll report back :)

MacroProd

03-01-06, 02:54 PM

I had been following the previously mentioned remedy of turning on the cable box prior to the TV when I had the black screen occur lastnight.

JohnnyTL

03-01-06, 03:12 PM

I had been following the previously mentioned remedy of turning on the cable box prior to the TV when I had the black screen occur lastnight.

I had turned on my cable box first as well. The only thing I didn't try is a top of the line surge protector. Maybe I should switch to nuclear generated power since it's cleaner (haha).

mgovar

03-01-06, 03:17 PM

Guys help me out here I am trying to pick one among these 3

Philips 42PF7320A
Samsung HPR-4252
samsung LNR-408D

I would appreciate some help.

MacroProd

03-01-06, 03:29 PM

I have a very basic/inexpensive surge protector, but would be willing to try a top of the line model if it really helps and I wasn't just flushing money down the toilet. :)

As for which TV from the above 3? I only have experience with the Philips... and I love it, except for the minor annoyances/issues posted here in this thread.

kypassat

03-01-06, 03:41 PM

ujsplace

03-01-06, 04:25 PM

ujsplace

03-01-06, 04:30 PM

Anyone care to share the settings for break in period??
Actually, I was paranoid about the break in period myself and ended up calling Philips. The tech I spoke to said there is no specified break in period. Throughout this thread there are some really good settings. I could only take a week or so of 50% contrast and 50% brightness. I think my contrast is mid 60's and the brightness is maybe in the 40's...got my settings in this thread. Sorry for not being able to recall who posted it, but they are good...

sgr215

03-01-06, 05:12 PM

Speaking of burn in, has anyone watched a 3 hour movie without stretching with black bars? Would this be ok? Some movies really get annoying when the actors look like gumby.

Skullker

03-01-06, 09:16 PM

Bought mine 3 days before Xmas at SAMS club, $1897 - heckuva deal. SAMs restocked them and my store has new ones for about $1850 or so.

1) Great TV. I don't have sound issues others report, but I never had surround sound before, so take my opinion for what its worth. Plan to buy a surround sound system at some point.

2) Extended Warranty: I went with SAMs 3rd-part extended warranty to add 3 more years (total = 4) for $225. It is CARRY/DRIVE IN. But cheaper than $500 (onsite though) for 3 years total from Circuit City. FYI, my favorite repair store estimates average $500 repair costs on Plasmas. If you buy a SAMSUNG, call them direct for extended warranty - cheaper than Circuit City and you can renew after 3 or 4 years.

3) Cardslot over-rated as you still need a DVR from your cable company anyway to handle the DVR and record programs off the Cable Guide. Also, PIP should be easier than a cable card, I think...haven't used the feature. I have only used component hookup so far, picture is great, wondering if I want an HDMI cable but that is after the surround sound.

4) Hanging mine on wall tonight after major wall surgery and unexpected cinder block column to drill through in basement so I can hide cables. WARNING! Wall mount with hidden cables AND hidden power cords AND a hidden surge protector is not easy. Go to mountsandmore for wall mounts for hardware. Also, there are two sets of holes on back for attaching the TV mounting plate, have to use internal set because the default open holes are too far apart for straight wall mount kits. If you are investigating wall mounts, email me if issues.

5) Overall, I haven't seen a better deal on Plasma. I was going DLP Projection until this dream TV was unexpectedly available - can't say enough about SAMS CLUB for the price.

ujsplace

03-01-06, 10:21 PM

Speaking of burn in, has anyone watched a 3 hour movie without stretching with black bars? Would this be ok? Some movies really get annoying when the actors look like gumby.
I have never personally done that, but based on what I have read and heard from some co-workers it would not be a problem. From what I understand, you need to really do an uninterrupted marathon where an image remains stationary for an unreasonable length of time to have actual burn-in, which is permanent whereas image retention is temporary. I think burn-in may have been more prevalent in the older generation plasmas. I have already called Philips concerning the break-in just to have piece of mind and you may want to do the same, but my guess is that you wouldn't have any burn-in. For what it's worth, my daughter watches noggin (kids channel), which has a logo that I was sure would cause some image retention, but this has not occurred and I have had the set since 1/24. I would definitely be interested to hear what others have to say concerning this.

zugi

03-02-06, 09:28 AM

;) Siemens makes the best medical equipmet ;)

I think it is like saying: Aspirin is the best
Somebody may say Taylanol is the best
or
Advil is #1.
It all depend on who you talk to at the hospital. They all have their own preferences.
I still think Philips rocks?
Agree or not?

heprat

03-02-06, 09:52 AM

I had been experiencing the black screen on occasion. Mostly as the kids were watching cartoons via Comcast digital cable. I called the Phillips CS line. The tech never never asked about the firmware version (I have the latest). He recommended first "reseting" the TV by unplugging it for 5 minutes. He then said we would have to eliminate the cables as the problem. He said to replace the component cables from the cable box and DVD player to see if it still happens. I have not done this yet as I don't have spare component cables laying around and it is a pain in the behind to do. He said that if I switched cables and still had the problem it might be the cable box. If we eliminate that he would send a service tech out to check the TV out.

In the near future I plan to use a HDMI cable from the cable box and purchase a DVD player with HDMI...so I'll eventually switch cables. I just thought I'd pass along Phillips current thoughts on the subject. BTW - I have the 7220 from Costco and really like the TV other than the occasional black screen.

kypassat

03-02-06, 11:07 AM

MacroProd

03-02-06, 11:08 AM

I have Cablevision. I also swapped out my cable box for a new one, thinking that it was the cause of the black screen. It wasn't.

The CS rep on the phone from Philips told me the same exact thing: If unplugging/resetting the TV didn't work, I would have to schedule a service call. It didn't work and I didn't schedule the technician because I don't see the point. Other members here have called for the same issue and the technician couldn't find a problem.

I don't know what to do next. Just keeping that Costco receipt safe until they get in another TV that I want to replace this one with.

JohnnyTL

03-02-06, 11:48 AM

Jerry808

03-02-06, 12:26 PM

Speaking of burn in, has anyone watched a 3 hour movie without stretching with black bars? Would this be ok? Some movies really get annoying when the actors look like gumby.
I've watched a DVD movie 2 1/2 hours without black bars streched and no burn in occurred. From everything I read, unless you do this constantly for days, you should not have a problem.

Jerry808

03-02-06, 12:35 PM

I've had the black screen issue for 5 months now and nothing has worked. Philips has not taken this problem seriously, trying to pass it off as some other problem. I've had the "BS" happen on various inputs (AV1-component, HDMI1, HDMI2). I have an expensive Monster Surge Protector from the beginning and even thought this may be interferring. I've tried every combination of cords/inputs/power and nothing seems to work. I've had an Authorized Serivce Rep at my house twice and it is such a joke. He wants to take the TV to his shop to actually observe the problem...forget that...the problem happens so intermittently that it would be a stroke of luck if it happened while he was watching. He said he was told by Philips that the recent software update was to fix the problem, that obviously hasn't happened. I'm beginning to wonder if this is a software problem since other posters on here are on the current firmware and don't have the "BS" problem at all. I don't think we are going to find a solution until Philips takes this problem seriously.

JohnnyTL

03-02-06, 12:43 PM

ujsplace

03-02-06, 12:44 PM

;)

I think it is like saying: Aspirin is the best
Somebody may say Taylanol is the best
or
Advil is #1.
It all depend on who you talk to at the hospital. They all have their own preferences.
I still think Philips rocks?
Agree or not?
Definitely, but I know that Siemens is doing some incredible and even revolutionary things with new medical trechnologies...

ujsplace

03-02-06, 12:50 PM

I have the 42PF9630A hooked to a Moto DCT6412 via component. My HD channels look great but the SD stuff looks bad. Will moving to DVI make a difference on the SD channels? How are most of you guys hooking your 42PF9630A to your cable box....Component or DVI? Also, I need to check but the Moto box might also have an HDMI connection.

Please help...the Wife is not liking this SD picture!

thanks!
kypassat
I am using DVI and my SD pq varies. Some of the SD channels are better than others, but the majority look like they used to on my SD set. I am using the 6ft hdmi/dvi cable from Monoprice...hope this helps...

JohnnyTL

03-02-06, 01:10 PM

vascubaguy

03-02-06, 03:34 PM

I purchased the 42PF7320A/37 about a month ago. In the last couple of weeks I have started noticing the black screen issue. It is strange because the audio keeps going, but the screen just blanks out for a few seconds and then comes back on. I has happened while watching my motorola DVR cable box and also while watching DVDs (most recently while watching Rent).

I have upgraded the Firmware (though I haven't done the 2 minute unplug). It doesn't happen frequently, but it happens enough to be extremely annoying.

I called customer service today and they told me to call a technician to come out and take a look. I'm sure they won't have a clue, but I guess I better call and have them come out.

If it weren't for the black screens, I love this TV, especially since it was under $2,000 (after tax).

kencope

03-03-06, 01:57 PM

Has anyone revolved this one? I have the latest firmware. It's extremely annoying to have the sound go out and then have to turn the TV off and back on to "unmute" it. Any help would be appreciated.

42Plasmaman

03-03-06, 02:04 PM

Has anyone revolved this one? I have the latest firmware. It's extremely annoying to have the sound go out and then have to turn the TV off and back on to "unmute" it. Any help would be appreciated.
Changing to another channel on the TV(not the cable box) will resolve the sound muted issue temperarily.
I haven't heard of a permanent solution for this.
It comes and goes on my TV.
Some days it's bad and some times it doesn't happen for days.

I thought that maybe it was the cablebox but it's happend on the component input as well while watching a DVD.

42Plasmaman

03-03-06, 02:33 PM

I used the Omnimount U3 as well. Works perfect! Make sure to purchase from ebay. I got mine for $79 shipped. At CircuitCity they want $250 for the mount. Buy from ebay and wait the extra few days in shipping, the savings is worth it.
Is this the seller you purchased from theaterboy ?

If yes, how was the condition and were the HW parts new ?

.

ShaunAtk

03-03-06, 03:09 PM

I've also used my Powerbook via DVI/HDMI and yes, it was plug and play.

I never could get it to work, even with a DVI/HDMI cable.

Must be time for a new video card :D

3horns

03-03-06, 08:10 PM

I get sound drops here and there....somewhat regularly I guess. BUT, I don't run any sound to the panel. I run my sound straight from the cable box to my stereo receiver. So I know my sound issue is with the cable box (company). Perhaps some of the problems people are having are such.

black_macleod

03-03-06, 08:39 PM

Always, ALWAYS, blame the cable co! Its so much easier!

JohnnyTL

03-03-06, 09:17 PM

black_macleod

03-03-06, 09:28 PM

I guess I bought the only one that works

Tiga

03-03-06, 10:47 PM

I guess I bought the only one that works

Make that one out of two (he says with fingers crossed).

ShaunAtk

03-03-06, 11:37 PM

I confirmed tonight that my PC not working on the TV was in fact a PC problem. My friends laptop worked with no problem.

And for the record, I haven't had a single problem with my TV, other than a burn in scare I had last week, but it went away pretty quickly. I've watched it quite a bit. I am definitely satisfied with my purchase.

Only problem is the lousy speakers, but that has been mentioned many times in this thread. I threw a 7.1 surround sound setup on the no interest financing, which obviously takes care of the problem, but I am doing some rewiring tonight and wow, the speakers that are on the TV are truly awful.

ujsplace

03-04-06, 12:37 AM

Make that one out of two (he says with fingers crossed).
...and then there were three...

sgr215

03-04-06, 01:44 AM

...and then there were three...

And now four. ::knocks on wood::

krisephillips

03-04-06, 08:33 AM

Is this the seller you purchased from theaterboy ?

If yes, how was the condition and were the HW parts new ?

.

Yes, I purchased it from that ebay seller. The box was banged up a little on deliver, but the parts where brand new and still in their original sealed wrapping.

Hope this helps.

krisephillips

03-04-06, 08:47 AM

And now four. ::knocks on wood::

And now five. When I purchased this tv the second I had it mounted and all connections made I updated the tv before watching any sat or dvds. I have not had a problem with it. (knocking on wood, rubbing lucky rabbit foot, and crossing my fingers and toes at the same time). So if anyone here is just about to purchase this tv my advice would to to update the drivers immediately before watching the tv. I checked with circuit city/costco/best buy/and sams club. All said this would not affect the warranty/return of the set if trouble happened as updating the driver is suggested by Philips and is the first reply by techs when called for service.

In fact, I am waiting for the directv guy to show up any minute to hook up the HD box. I just have a standard connected currently. I cannot wait!!!!!

krisephillips

03-04-06, 02:03 PM

Well I have the Directv HD connected with 15ft monoprice HDMI connection and the picture for HD channels looks great. SD channels as others have said here look...well....SD. I have the STB set to native setting for resolution. This way when I change channels it automatically adjusts to native resolution of the broadcast instead of changing the resoultion constantly with the format button on the remote.

It usually remains somewhere between 780i and 1080 in resolution.

MacroProd

03-04-06, 02:12 PM

I had the mother of all black screens tonight. Sound and picture went off for 5 minutes. Power could not be turned off (green power light stayed on). I was contimplating pulling the plug when it came back on all by itself. This TV is going back to the store tomorrow.

I had the same thing a couple of weeks back. Not quite 5 minutes, but the very same experience. Could not power off the TV, change channels... NOTHING. Then it just came back on. It had a major brain fart or something. I am 90% sure I am returning it. I am just waiting for Costco to get something else in stock that I want to replace this one with. I like the return policy, which will ultimately save my a$$ with this purchase! :)

Please keep us posted with what you do with yours and if you like your new TV.

craigvalk

03-05-06, 06:50 AM

Hello All, first post for this board noob. I've been lurking for months both before and after I purchased my setup. Great info here.
My input on the black screen issue... first of all I run a cable card from Comcast with my 42PF7320A. Had the set in place for about 3 months now and use it all the time. I have updated the s/w regularly. I lost access to two cable channels ( out of about 200) about 6 weeks ago. Was in no rush to fix, but eventually did get Comcast out and they elected to replace the cable card. Works perfect again.
That very night I started having black screen problems for the first time. I had the 1.013 software downloaded to a flash stick but not installed. I did the software update, did the 2 minute unplug, powered it up and there hasn't been a hiccup since... about 3 weeks or so.
Count me a happy user. I thought it was just too coincidental that changing out a cable card and the black screen problems started at the same time. The Comcast guy didn't unplug the TV while changing out the card, and I think maybe he should have, perhaps that was part of the problem after he left.

As far as I am concerned this TV is one of the best deals out there.

Hope this is some use to you all, and hope those who have problems get them resolved.

Craig

MacroProd

03-05-06, 01:27 PM

I too was incident free after the firmware upgrade and the 2 minute unplugging of the TV for about 2 weeks. I was starting to get my hopes up. Then I had an incident with the black screen again. I have only had the one so far, but one is enough. I am not going to get stuck with a TV that can't be fixed/diagnosed when it is out of warranty. This TV sells for a great price, but it still isn't cheap enough to take that chance.

JohnnyTL

03-05-06, 02:27 PM

I had the same thing a couple of weeks back. Not quite 5 minutes, but the very same experience. Could not power off the TV, change channels... NOTHING. Then it just came back on. It had a major brain fart or something. I am 90% sure I am returning it. I am just waiting for Costco to get something else in stock that I want to replace this one with. I like the return policy, which will ultimately save my a$$ with this purchase! :)

Please keep us posted with what you do with yours and if you like your new TV.

I returned the Philly for the Panny TH50PM50U. I got it home and hooked it up to the cable box via HDMI input. The PQ is excellent except the I am getting green flashes when using the HDMI input (Component input is fine). I guess there are issues with all of these TVs. Unfortunately this was the last set Costco had in stock and they aren't getting any more. They only have the Vizio P50HDM in stock. I may swap it out tonight. Good Luck with resolving your issue with the Philips.

MacroProd

03-05-06, 09:16 PM

Good luck, Johhny. Sorry it had to come to this!

My Costco doesn't have that one... only the ED Panny. I'm holding out, but mine will be going back, too. :mad:

jord533

03-07-06, 01:06 AM

sgr215

03-07-06, 02:42 AM

i cant decide whether or not to get this tv or not.
i have been looking for a 37-42" flat panel for quite some time.
im stuck with a $2000 price range and this seems like a really good deal.
i plan on using cable card if i purchase this tv.
would you recommend it?...i am hesitant because of some of these issues you guys are having but
1)i will have it connected to a home theater and
2) a simple firmware update wouldnt be a hassle if all it takes is that to fix any problems

so could someone sway my decision for me?
if not this tv what others would you recommend?(cable card not necessary)

thanks,
jordan

I would tell you to get it but then those with problems would tell you not to. Remember one thing, the small percent who experience issues will come out in masses to report their problem or ask for help on forums like this. (I would do the same too) Meanwhile, the majority of those with working systems won't post about it. They are too busy enjoying their unit. In my humble opinion, this TV is really good for HD and so-so for SD which is to be expected. As with any electronic purchase, it's always a risk. Whatever you choose, you may be one of the unlucky few who end up with a defective TV. Good luck!

black_macleod

03-07-06, 02:59 AM

I second that. Most people who seek out forums are looking for answers to problems. I just hang out to check on firmware issues etc, although I did peruse this forum before buying my tv, and mine has been problem free. I love this display.

jord533

03-07-06, 04:01 AM

i read in another post about the new philips plasmas that are supposed to come out in june but a local electronics store near me says they are getting a bunch of new models in this month, including new philips models. has any one else heard of this? i dont feel like missing out on a good deal at costco and then having to pay more for a newer model.
should i wait? does any one else know about these new models?

thanks, otherwise i will probably go to costco sometime this week and purchase this one.

42Plasmaman

03-07-06, 09:47 AM

Giancarl0

03-07-06, 09:55 AM

Has anyone had an issue with the HDMI input from a DVD being noiser than the component input ?

I have both outputs on my DVD and notice that the component progressive output looks cleaner(less noise) than the HDMI. Both have good picture but during the darker screens, the HDMI input signal looks noisy/dirty.

:eek:

I hooked up a new LG-511 player last night via HDMI line (from monoprice.com) and you're right - the darker scenes of "Finding Nemo" (playing at 720P) were a bit mottled! I didn't go back to component because it was late but I will test out the Avia disc tonight and I'll let you know what's up...

black_macleod

03-07-06, 10:12 AM

Jerry808

03-07-06, 01:19 PM

I had the same thing a couple of weeks back. Not quite 5 minutes, but the very same experience. Could not power off the TV, change channels... NOTHING. Then it just came back on. It had a major brain fart or something. I am 90% sure I am returning it. I am just waiting for Costco to get something else in stock that I want to replace this one with. I like the return policy, which will ultimately save my a$$ with this purchase! :)

Please keep us posted with what you do with yours and if you like your new TV.
I had the same issue and actually think this is a variation of the black screen problem (just my hunch). I did find a semi-solution though last night: If you hold down the power button on the right side of the TV for about 5 seconds it will "reboot." The green power light never goes off, similar to the black screen issue. My authorized service rep is checking with Philips and he wants to replace the power board, we'll see???

42Plasmaman

03-07-06, 02:31 PM

Well, the black screen and muted sound issue haven't cropped up since I started to turn on the cable box then the TV seperately.
Turn on cablebox, wait 1-2 seconds then turn on TV.

*The cablebox is also left on while watching DVD's.

But now I have a new issue.

I was looking at my screen a little closer today and noticed a little purplish/pink dot.
It appears that one of the pixels are stuck or about to go dead.

It's hard to tell it's there unless the screen is white in the area of the pixel.

Anything I can do to fix this or do I just wait for it to black out and call it a day and say I have a dead pixel ?

black_macleod

03-07-06, 02:34 PM

Maybe thats why I dont' have blackscreen - My MOXI box can't be shut off, so the tv is always powered on after the device -- obviously.

sgr215

03-08-06, 01:29 AM

My plasma is connected to a directivo. It never is fully off, just in "standby". Perhaps we're close to solving the mystery of the infamous black screen of death? :eek:

MacroProd

03-08-06, 09:12 AM

My authorized service rep is checking with Philips and he wants to replace the power board, we'll see???

Jerry: Please try to keep us posted on your progress. Many thanks!

There seems to be just as many 42'' and 50'' owners who have never seen the black screen here on the forum. I am starting to wonder if perhaps a certain amount of TV's came off the line with a faulty board or component? Just a guess.

The models being sold currently at my Costco have different packaging than when I bought it around Christmas. I am considering exchanging mine for a new one since they don't have any other TV that compares to this one.

Jerry808

03-08-06, 01:35 PM

My plasma is connected to a directivo. It never is fully off, just in "standby". Perhaps we're close to solving the mystery of the infamous black screen of death? :eek:
Trust me, we are no closer to solving this "BS" issue. I have BS occur when I've turned on the cable box first. I've had it occur when it is completely off and I'm watching a DVD (which I turned on first). I've had it happen on different input sources, different power configurations, different times of the day, different etc etc etc. (can you sense my frustration?) Other than "BS", I love this TV (the same thing I say about my wife). Show me another 42' HD-Plasma under $2k with 2 HDMI inputs and I would consider swapping.

I'm not giving up though, just getting ready to "go postal" on my authorized service rep!

sgr215

03-09-06, 01:31 AM

Trust me, we are no closer to solving this "BS" issue. I have BS occur when I've turned on the cable box first. I've had it occur when it is completely off and I'm watching a DVD (which I turned on first). I've had it happen on different input sources, different power configurations, different times of the day, different etc etc etc. (can you sense my frustration?) Other than "BS", I love this TV (the same thing I say about my wife).

LOL! Anyhow, that really sucks. Hope you get it repaired or get a working replacement!

lytalbayre

03-09-06, 02:11 PM

Jerry808

03-09-06, 03:31 PM

Anyone have issues with macroblocking on this tv... I'm using a zenith 318 and I tried a panny 97s and both had serious macroblocking issues on this set.

This is the 42" pilips by the way.

I'm buying a SOny NP70 player to test that one.

Any recommendations on good dvd players that don't have this macroblocking issue w/this set??

Thanks.
I have the Sony upconverting DVD player DVPNS70H and have not had any problems. A disclaimer though, I'm not a Macroblocking expert but to me it has performed great. I connect it to the TV using a HDMI-to-HDMI cable.

black_macleod

03-09-06, 03:52 PM

I have the Sony upconverting DVD player DVPNS70H and have not had any problems. A disclaimer though, I'm not a Macroblocking expert but to me it has performed great. I connect it to the TV using a HDMI-to-HDMI cable.

You did mean HDMI - DVI cable?

I have an Oppo upconverting DVD player, HDMI - DVI cable, some macroblocking in burned movies and badly transferred commercial DVD's, but only noticeable up close and in very black areas, not if I'm kicked back in the comfy chair, which I always am :)

Jerry808

03-09-06, 04:32 PM

You did mean HDMI - DVI cable?

I have an Oppo upconverting DVD player, HDMI - DVI cable, some macroblocking in burned movies and badly transferred commercial DVD's, but only noticeable up close and in very black areas, not if I'm kicked back in the comfy chair, which I always am :)
no I mean HDMI - HDMI. The DVD player has HDMI output the TV has HDMI input. I have trouble actually playing some burned movies on this player though and the blacks on this TV are not the greatest at times.

ShaunAtk

03-09-06, 05:18 PM

Just curious, how much better are the upconverting DVD players pictures?

Thanks.

black_macleod

03-09-06, 05:23 PM

no I mean HDMI - HDMI. The DVD player has HDMI output the TV has HDMI input. I have trouble actually playing some burned movies on this player though and the blacks on this TV are not the greatest at times.

Cool, my Oppo has DVI out.

As for the PQ - it depends on the transfer of the DVD - if its crappy, the upconversion only makes that crap look crappier. For anything good, its pretty great. I like mine.

42Plasmaman

03-09-06, 05:36 PM

Just curious, how much better are the upconverting DVD players pictures?

Thanks.
Well, I have the Samsung HD series with Upconversion and the HDMI output looks noisy compared to the Composite output.
Especially during dark scenes.

I tested this on 3 different movies.
Twister, SW EP3 and Harry Potter #4 and all looked noisy when using the HDMI 720p output when compared to the same DVD using Composite 480p output.

Jerry808

03-09-06, 07:54 PM

Well, I have the Samsung HD series with Upconversion and the HDMI output looks noisy compared to the Composite output.
Especially during dark scenes.

I tested this on 3 different movies.
Twister, SW EP3 and Harry Potter #4 and all looked noisy when using the HDMI 720p output when compared to the same DVD using Composite 480p output.
Composite? or Component?

I did a comparison early on and noticed a big difference when watching a bright vivid movie like Shrek, the upconverted video looked much better than the component output. I do have a problem with dark scenes too, but didn't think this was a HDMI or component issue, but rather a TV problem.

jord533

03-09-06, 09:36 PM

well i just got this tv and the cable guy came out today to set up the cable card and he said that they were having problems with these TVs that were bought from costco. well now my cable card isnt working i was hoping that there was a firmware update but it has the latest firmware from the philips site so unless there is another site with firmware for this tv im not getting all of of the chanels including some HD. so does anyone know how to fix this problem? the picture is great but i dont want to pay for this cable card if its not gonna work. im surprised i didnt hear about this problem or see it on this forum...maybe i missed it somewhere?

thanks for any help,
-jordan

42Plasmaman

03-10-06, 09:57 AM

Jerry808, I meant Component.
(I took the Samsung back yesterday and just opted for the Sony Super Progressive with Component output. The picture looks great/HD with great PQ.)

jord533, which version do you currently have and what is the HD issue ?

1.
Is it that you can't punch in the channel number or you get no HD picture ?

If you get a picture, does the info show you are receiving HD/720p ?

2.
When you say your cablecard is not working, you mean it doesn't show up in the Menu or that it doesn't work but the TV detects it's there ?

3.
Who is your cable provider ?

Giancarl0

03-10-06, 11:50 AM

:eek:

I hooked up a new LG-511 player last night via HDMI line (from monoprice.com) and you're right - the darker scenes of "Finding Nemo" (playing at 720P) were a bit mottled! I didn't go back to component because it was late but I will test out the Avia disc tonight and I'll let you know what's up...

I hacked the 511 player and the pixelation/noise was gone... Avia calibration dvd showed no noise. I also referenced Raiders of the Lost Ark and Monsters, Inc. for dark scenes and noise was absent. :)

krisephillips

03-10-06, 01:12 PM

Does anyone notice a difference between the progressive scan or the HD upconversion DVD players with this TV? I am looking into the upconversion DVD player, but wanted to see if anyone else with this tv noticed a big difference with the picture.

black_macleod

03-10-06, 01:29 PM

Definitely better. Which one are you looking at?

42Plasmaman

03-10-06, 02:36 PM

I hacked the 511 player and the pixelation/noise was gone... Avia calibration dvd showed no noise. I also referenced Raiders of the Lost Ark and Monsters, Inc. for dark scenes and noise was absent. :)
Do you mean got another player when you say hacked ?

krisephillips

03-10-06, 02:59 PM

Definitely better. Which one are you looking at?

Not sure yet. Probably a Sony or Samsung. I have been looking at reviews and both seem to have good reviews. Philips does make one but I have not seen reviews on it.

black_macleod

03-10-06, 03:04 PM

Not sure yet. Probably a Sony or Samsung. I have been looking at reviews and both seem to have good reviews. Philips does make one but I have not seen reviews on it.

Consider an Oppo - for the price it can't be beat, and plays everything. Looks really great on my Phillips 42" Plasma. There is a thread on AVS if you want to research it. Oppo has the BEST customer support too - get an email back often within an hour. 30 days return too, so you can try it out. I recommend buying direct from them if you decide that route.

simms51

03-10-06, 03:39 PM

IMHO, I went with the LG LDA-511 and connected it to my 50" philps plasma with HDMI. I am viewing dvd's at 1080i and the PQ is awesome. Less money than the Oppo to.

Giancarl0

03-10-06, 05:06 PM

Do you mean got another player when you say hacked ?

Nah... I did a search for my dvd player here on avsforum and found some tips and tricks to fix (what I thought was a problem).

I would've gone with the Oppo but didn't have time to test it and costs a little more $$.

ShaunAtk

03-11-06, 02:00 PM

Anyone have a picture of the connectors on he back of the TV?

That's one bad thing about wall mounting, I can't see the damn connections...

Thanks.

mugrad

03-11-06, 05:33 PM

black_macleod

03-11-06, 06:00 PM

On mine those are the only two options at 1080i, so maybe she turned off other resolutions in your cable / sat box?

hacketjoe

03-11-06, 07:40 PM

I purchased this TV a few weeks ago and set it up with a cable card. I just switched to a cable box with DVR from cox and for some reason I am not able to use the picture in picture function. It worked fine with the cable card and running analog through video 1. Now with the cable box if I go to picture in picture and the second video source doesn't work. It comes up no source. I can switch between inputs just fine and and Video one, two and three (DVD player) all work seperately. I just can't pull up two at a time like I did with the cable card to show picture in picture. Any advice.

RogerS

03-11-06, 09:21 PM

Anyone have a picture of the connectors on he back of the TV?

That's one bad thing about wall mounting, I can't see the damn connections...

Thanks.

This is a link to the pdf manual with the connection pictures on page 29. http://www.p4c.philips.com/na4/4/42pf7320a_37/42pf7320a_37_dfu_aen.pdf

jord533

03-12-06, 04:31 AM

here is an update for my cable card issue:

origionaly the tv detected the card but got 0 chanels.

i called my cable provider (cox) and they came back out and swaped cards. new card didnt work. cable guy called cox and told them to "hit" the card again. all of a sudden it starts working.

i guess it was just a bad card or some issue where they have to register the card twice or something.

thanks any way now i can finally enjoy this great tv.

but now how to figure out how to get my computer to fit the whole screen? its having some sort of scaleing issue. i have its resolution set to 1024x768 but i have black bars on the sides and top and bottom. could it be the fact that im using s-video to connect my computer to the tv?

thanks

MacroProd

03-12-06, 10:31 AM

For those of you experiencing the black screen issue, I returned (exchanged) mine to Costco yesterday. They had a few of these TV's left, so I just re-purchased the same one. I asked the TV department guys about the TV and asked if they get many of them back on returns. They said every shipment of the 42'' and 50'' model sells out and as far as they knew, none of them had come back. They said my black screen experience was the first story like this they had heard. Perhaps there was a bad batch of these TV's out there??

I will keep you all posted.

ShaunAtk

03-12-06, 12:53 PM

This is a link to the pdf manual with the connection pictures on page 29. http://www.p4c.philips.com/na4/4/42pf7320a_37/42pf7320a_37_dfu_aen.pdf

Much appreciated :)

JohnnyTL

03-13-06, 08:50 AM

black_macleod

03-13-06, 09:24 AM

They told me I was the first to return this TV also. I find it hard to believe that more people aren't returning these TVs.

Why? Its not like every single person on this forum is having the problem. Many of us have stated ours work perfectly fine - as I said before, when you have problems, you are more vocal - if something works, no need to say much.

So for every one that has this issue there are probably 1000's that work fine, so a mass return is a bit of an overestimation :)

MacroProd

03-13-06, 09:33 AM

Why? Its not like every single person on this forum is having the problem. Many of us have stated ours work perfectly fine - as I said before, when you have problems, you are more vocal - if something works, no need to say much.

So for every one that has this issue there are probably 1000's that work fine, so a mass return is a bit of an overestimation :)

Actually, when a few others here said they were having the same black screen behavior I was, I was relieved! I first believed that this was a software/firmware issue rather than a bad TV. What caused me to think otherwise was there were other users here who had the 42'' and the 50'' and they had no idea what us 'black screen' people were talking about. I'm just posting my path to finding a solution here because I don't want to give up on this TV and I hope to be able to help out the few (yes, there seems to be only a few) people who are experiencing this problem.

I watched The Sopranos lastnight in HD on this TV and I am speechless. The PQ is outstanding.

42Plasmaman

03-13-06, 09:53 AM

Tiga

03-14-06, 12:54 PM

Had this TV for a month or so. All of a sudden, when I press the format key on the remote I only get two options - Automatic and widescreen. I used to have all the options available, but now they are greyed out. It also seems, now that I have to use Automatic, that the picture jumps around from 4:3 to widescreen a lot more often. I will admit that this happened after a babysitter was at our house and was having difficulty figuring out my system, so she may have been pressing buttons without knowing what she was doing.

Any help?

I think this has something to do with being hooked up via HDMI. Right now my dvd player is connected to the TV via component and also connected to my Dish HD receiver. The Dish receiver is connected to the TV via HDMI. (I'm expirementing with the upscaling feature of the receiver). When playing a dvd I notice I get all the format options when watching the dvd through component, but when I switch to HDMI to watch the dvd through the satellite receiver I only get the 2 options you mention.

Tiga

sas099

03-14-06, 12:55 PM

black_macleod

03-14-06, 03:15 PM

Hello. First off, I have had this tv since Nov. and not had any black screen problems. Knock on wood.

I just hooked up my PS2 via component cables and I have it set to 16:9, progressive scan. The picture doesn't fill the screen. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong. I have thin black bars on either side,about 3 inches or so.

Thanks!

Same thing on mine, you're not doing anything wrong. I've not found what the exact problem is, so I just blame the PS2. I've learned to ignore it. BTW, its the same whether I use Widescreen or Automatic.

seansed

03-15-06, 02:47 PM

Am I the only one that is not liking the pixel plus feature? I've tried it with HD tv, games, and DVD movies and it always makes the screen look a bit too pixelated. It brings out a bit of color in some spots, but it does not look smooth and clear... Also, is the tv suppose to have the pixels bouncing around when you look at them up close? Is this a burn-in prevention?

black_macleod

03-15-06, 02:57 PM

smirley

03-15-06, 03:00 PM

I picked up the 7320A at Sam's about 3 weeks ago. Got my first "black screen" while watching SW Ep. III (opera house scene). I started at the beginning of the chapter again, but the screen didn't black out again. I didn't experience the BS again for about a week, but then it seemed to happen more frequently on regular TV broadcasts (mostly when my kids were watching Cartoon Network). Haven't experienced it on any other DVD we've watched, though I haven't played Ep. III again to test.

I updated the firmware, but the problem persisted, and maybe even got worse as the black screens seem to happen 2 or 3 times in a row when they do occur.

I'm scheduling a service tech to come out and look at it. The Philips rep didn't miss a beat when I mentioned that I found that this was a fairly common issue with this model. He basically verified that I have the most recent firmware and gave me the number of a local authorized service rep.

I'm hoping that the issue can be resolved, because I love the set. The features, PQ and input options are comparable to, if not better than, many of the higher priced plasmas I've looked at. I'll post any updates as to the success or lack thereof that the technician has in resolving the problem.

MacroProd

03-15-06, 04:12 PM

Smirley: A few years ago I had to have an aging Mitsubishi rear projection TV repaired. The symptoms were almost identical to this. Every now and then the screen would just go blank for a few seconds. No video, no sound. I called a repairman, and he promptly identified the problem. Simply put: he said as the TV heats during use and then cools after it is turned off, the PC boards in the TV expand and contract. After time, the solder joints may crack due to stress. He found the crack, re-soldered the board and it is still running years later.

Perhaps you can ask your technician if this could be a similar issue, only brought on much sooner by the heat generated in a plasma?

seansed

03-15-06, 05:09 PM

I'm not sure what you mean. Pixels don't "bounce" they are fixed.

When I go look up close at the pixels, the colors seem to change constantly on static spots. Ex: I could watch a channel, and at a shadowed section on the screen, there will be grey and black, and maybe some other colors constantly changing. When you look at it from far away it really isn't noticeable, but up close, you can see them changing.

black_macleod

03-15-06, 05:19 PM

That's macroblocking, or just normal old bad SD compression.

scottrngr

03-15-06, 05:24 PM

smirley

03-15-06, 06:05 PM

I had to go from memory when comparing this set to the Akai plasma, because the feed to the Akai was terrible when I looked at it. I remembered the Akai looking a little more washed out when it had been connected properly, but that may have just been my mind rationalizing the decision.

The Philips looked crisper and I liked the contrast and color depth compared to the Samsung ED plasma and the Vizio 37" LCD that were right next to it. PQ is excellent on this set - my kids were riveted by a show on beavers that was filmed in IMAX showing on INHD, you would swear you were looking at them through a crystal-clear window.

Heat doesn't seem to be a problem at all on this set, the back housing is only warm to the touch after hours of operation.

MacroProd

03-16-06, 12:06 PM

I agree. Heat isn't a problem on mine either. I was just throwing a possibility out there for you to ask the technician about. Others here have had techs come to their home and the tech can't find a problem.

I am happy to hear you called Philips, though. The more they hear about the problem, the better!

SPK8000LG

03-16-06, 01:34 PM

Since i updated my TV, Ive had zero problems, Might wanna try that getting a thumb drive and doing it

MacroProd

03-16-06, 02:12 PM

This thread is getting very long, I know... but there are many, many posts where people have reported updating their firmware to the latest version and the black screen is still occurring. Sometimes less often, sometimes more often, sometimes it begins after they do the update.... it isn't a firmware issue. At least as of right now that isn't the fix... maybe down the road.

stecho57

03-16-06, 02:43 PM

Have had this TV since Oct. 05, I'm using component inputs thru AV receiver. I have moto dvr cable box and jvc progressive scan dvd player and SD replay. I have experienced black screen a few times, only on start up, it appears the TV is not getting a good signal from cable box, as when I switch to dvd, the TV gets a picture so I switch it back to cable box it is ok. I have never gotten black screen on my cable box when viewing a program. I have gotten black screen only a couple of times when viewing a dvd but when I rewind over blacked out areas it plays fine. I have never gotten black screen watching SD programs. I think the TV is not getting a good signal from the source so it blacks out. A CRT would give static. I have upgraded to new firmware.

mongered

03-16-06, 02:44 PM

I have had this TV for just over a month. I have the latest firmware installed (and I check the Philips web site frequently to check whether a new one is available). I have had the BSD ("Black Screen of Death") 2 or three times. Once I had to unplug the TV to turn it off to reset it. Another time with the BSD, the TV would not power off via remote, but did turn off at the panel.

I use the panel via HDMI with SA8300HD box and with Sony up-converting DVD player.

There are a lot of things I like about this set...2 HDMI, USB for updates, good picture format options (including automatic), good (not GREAT) PQ, good black levels, good price, I like the looks of the TV, etc.

The things I don't like are...aforementioned BSD, "red push" in color, "noise" and blotchiness in some scenes (not sure what is considered false contouring and macro-blocking, etc., just the picture is not always "smooth" and "clean"). Sometimes the PQ is stunning, but overall I feel like I can't quite get it dialed in just to my liking.

Ultimately, I have decided to return the TV to the "warehouse" from which I purchased it for a refund. For replacement, I have ordered a new Panny 42PX60U from Panny direct. With discounts, I was able to get it for practically the same price I paid for the Philips.

Overall I am neither pro, nor con on the Philips. I am just hoping to be more WOW-ed by the Panny (whose plasmas seem to be all the rage with owners and reviewers) for the same price.

Tiga

03-16-06, 03:27 PM

MacroProd

03-16-06, 06:04 PM

I think that is a great idea.

craigvalk

03-16-06, 07:19 PM

This thread has been going on for a while (which is a good thing) and it seems the most common problem people are having is the BS issue. Apparently no one, not even phillips, has the solution yet. A thought just occurred to me that I wonder if we got as may people as possible to post their setups (receiver, dvd, cables, surge protectors, connections, receiver turned on first, etc.) and whether or not they get BS, maybe we could find a common trait. I'm not sure exactly how we would do this - some sort of online survey type of a thing (is there a website to do such a thing?).

Maybe it isn't possible and maybe it's just a bad idea but I thought I'd throw it out there to see what you guys think. Thanks.

Tiga

That is indeed an excellent idea.
Aside from the obvious TV with the 1.013 s/w update:
1. Comcast Cable card ( Motorola card, I believe)
2. Philips HTS3410D/37 home theater, hooked up via RGB video and component audio, using Monster 6 foot cables.

Perhaps a yes or no on black screen? Yes, but resolved for the moment with the s/w upgrade. Happened only once immediately after cablecard replacment. Not since.

Let's see what happens with this...

dangerousdavid

03-16-06, 07:50 PM

Had mine since November 05. No blackscreen problem. I have never gotten around to updating the bios. Hooked up via Directtv H10-250 Tivo via HDMI and an Xbox via component. I also use the OTA anntenna on occasion.

42Plasmaman

03-16-06, 08:12 PM

42Plasmaman

03-16-06, 08:23 PM

Well, ever since I started to turn on the cable box first then the TV 2-3 seconds after the cablebox has been turned on, I haven't had the black screen issue nor the sound mute issue.

I also leave the cablebox on when I watch DVD's or VHS Video.

My setup:

*FW V1.0.13

1. Coax cable from Comcast Digital Cablebox to TV (Coax is feed to Monster HT700 power center first then cablebox)
2. Component input/AV3 from Sony DVD
3. Audio from DVD is connected to Sony Receiver - Dolby 5.1
4. Audio out from TV is connected to Sony Receiver - used to enhance/make louder certain TV events/shows or movies.
5. VHS video and sound out to AV2 input
6. Monster HT700 Surge protector with Coax filter

Nbafan23

03-16-06, 09:04 PM

Been reading a lot about the black out situation and their are other examples of the same happening with other models. I would like to find out from the people having black out problems how many are using line conditioners for clean power?

MacroProd

03-16-06, 11:36 PM

As mentioned earlier I exchanged my TV this past weekend for a new one. It is 5 days old and I just suffered a black screen incident. My setup is as follows:

- Scientific Atlanta 4200HD connected to AV1 via component cables w/ standard stereo audio input to AV1
- Sony DVP-NS70H connected to HDMI(1)

Firmware: BX23U-1.0.13.0_01441

seansed

03-17-06, 01:06 AM

To see the effects of Pixel Plus, goto the Demo menu and select Pixel Plus.
From what I can tell, it makes the picture look smoother and less pixilated.

Thats weird because when I try it out (both normally and through demo mode) it makes the picture look more pixelated and less smooth. I had to turn it off because it made my ps2 games look horrible, and the same with standard channels on cable. What I notice is some pixels outlining objects become pixelated as if the sharpness was turned way up. Am I the only one having problems with pixel plus?

wuhungsix

03-17-06, 06:42 AM

JohnnyTL

03-17-06, 09:14 AM

My unit from Costco that was purchased 11/2005 also has the BS issue. I am trying to live with it but I think in the end it will eventually go back for something else. When returning at Costco is the box needed. I kind of cut em up to put under my car. :o

oh yea I only get input from OTA atenna and a progressive Philips DVD player via components, both of which I have seen the BS.

The box is not needed. Just make sure you have the remote and all the manual. I brought mine back in the box and they had to open it up anyway to confirm the model number.

MacroProd

03-17-06, 11:47 AM

This was just posted. It doesn't mention anything about 'black screen', but it applies to the 42'' and 50'' plasmas. Black screen is the #1 complaint of us owners of these TV's, so I am assuming this may finally fix this issue! :)

Philips to repair 12,000 plasma TVs (http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/17/technology/philips_plasma.reut/index.htm)

Jerry808

03-17-06, 01:18 PM

smirley

03-17-06, 03:39 PM

My fingers are crossed as well. My setup:

FW 1.0.13
SA 8300HD-DVR connected to HDMI1 w/ Monster HDMI cable
Sony PS DVD/surround sound, connected to AV1 with Monster component cables

craigvalk

03-17-06, 07:38 PM

Good find MacroProd! I'm optimistically hopeful that this may solve the BS issue.

It could make a lot of people happy. I am glad to see that Philips is standing up and saying they will address an issue. It says they will contact users, so it might be wise to update the thread as this occurs to see what they tell people, and more importantly if it solves the problem.

scary_harry

03-17-06, 07:51 PM

I think this just applies to the arcing capacitors on some of the Ambilight models. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with the BS problem.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06536.html)

AVS Forum thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=651625) on recall.

nerdzoo

03-17-06, 08:09 PM

Good find MacroProd! I'm optimistically hopeful that this may solve the BS issue.

I am sorry to disappoint you, but this recall pertains to the ambilight models (certain production batches only). I too am waiting for the day Philips finally finds the cause/reason for the black screen issue. Read the Consumer Reports article in the link below.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/philips-plasma-tvs-recalled-306.htm

Jerry808

03-17-06, 09:24 PM

I am sorry to disappoint you, but this recall pertains to the ambilight models (certain production batches only). I too am waiting for the day Philips finally finds the cause/reason for the black screen issue. Read the Consumer Reports article in the link below.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/philips-plasma-tvs-recalled-306.htm
Yes, I am once again sad...thank you for dashing my hopes...lol :(

bigtvluvr

03-18-06, 12:44 AM

What's this 'black screen' problem folks are referencing?

craigvalk

03-18-06, 09:59 AM

Yes, I am once again sad...thank you for dashing my hopes...lol :(

well we should continue with the idea of getting everybody's set up info as was suggested earlier then!!!

Not to worry....

MacroProd

03-18-06, 10:17 AM

That's not very good news at all. Sorry for getting everyone's hopes up... including my own!

Six days with this latest TV and I have already had the black screen.

Jeremy911

03-18-06, 11:24 AM

My plasma is having the BS problem all the time and it's not on the recall list. I was so hopeful when I got the notice in the mail that they were recalling this problem :(

My setup:
DH-20 DTV Receiver using HDMI running to the set and analog cables to the stereo. DVD Recorder using Component Video to the set and analog cables to the stereo. All power and video is running through a Monster Surge Protector.

The BS happens while using either inputs. And now I've begun having lots of problems with the sound not coming on. I switch from one channel to another and the picture comes on, but no sound. I have to actually switch the channel again to get sound. This is a problem with the set because I get sound from the stereo.

Has ANYONE had any luck with Philips support?

MacroProd

03-18-06, 12:24 PM

When I called, Philips said I would have to call a technician. I haven't scheduled a service call because I don't believe they will be able to fix the problem unless Philips specifically sends them out with specifics on what needs to be repaired/replaced.

I urge you to call Philips if you haven't already done so. It is our only hope of getting them to take notice of this problem.

simms51

03-18-06, 12:59 PM

MacroProd..... I own the 50" version of the PF9630 model. I also experience the black screen problem. About a month or so ago I contacted philips about my problem and they gave me a couple of shops here locally to call. However, after contacting my local shops they didn't instill any confidence with me that they are able to work on my $4k set. I just didn't feel comfortable with the idea of them taking my set back to their shop and running the risk of having something happen to it. I am hoping eventually Philips will recognize there is a problem and come up with a solution, just like they did for the ambi-light recall.

MacroProd

03-18-06, 01:30 PM

Does anyone know anything about what led up to the ambilight recall? Were there any symptoms that people were complaining about? How long it took for Philips to find a resolution to the problem?

scary_harry

03-18-06, 02:36 PM

Has anybody tried to narrow this down to a specific country and / or time period of manufacture? This data can be obtained from the serial number.

For instance the serial number on my 42PF7320A/37 is YA1A0532XXXXXX, indicating that it was manufactured in Mexico in the 32nd week of 2005. Roughly the week of August 8, 2005.

YA = Mexico, AG = Belgium. There may be others. The 05 is the year and 32 is the week of manufacture. No idea what 1A means. A particular plant or assembly line?

I have the black screen problem. D*TV HR10-250 HDMI out to Denon AVR to HDMI1 on the tv. Denon DVD player HDMI out to AVR but I don't watch enough DVD's to know whether it black screens or not.

Harry

MacroProd

03-18-06, 04:15 PM

I have a YA1A0607.

Some folks over in the 42PF9630A (TV w/ Ambilight) thread have been reporting this same 'black screen' behavior for months back, too. Only a lot of the people there aren't calling it black screen. Some refer to it as 'rebooting' or simply ask why there TV is turning off for a few seconds and coming back on. Man, this is weird! :mad:

black_macleod

03-18-06, 04:40 PM

MacroProd

03-18-06, 05:06 PM

Since so many of us affected seem to have purchased our units at Costco, I was thinking about writing a letter to their Corporate Offices and asking them to contact Philips on a higher level. I was also going to CC Philips Corporate Offices. Costco is so concerned with customer service that it might just help get this fixed.

Anyone else think that is a good idea? Anyone else willing to write a letter, too?

RICKSRIBS

03-18-06, 05:24 PM

I am hopeful that since my serial number isn't in the range, and that since I've never had BS problems at all, that the fix will solve everyone's problem. Mine is YA 41st week of 05, which I don't think makes any sense since I bought it in November. Maybe it was hot from the factory?

I bought my 50PF7220A/37 from Costco... 2 days before Super Bowl (missing the coupon offer). No BS issue...But 2 days after SB.... took it back & exchanged it because I had a ploblem with the side controls malfunctioning (the +/- volume button was sticking causing the tv to get EXTREMELY LOUD & shutting down.

My new TV serial #YA1A0604XXXXX & it looks & works great. No BS issue...
Also it is imprinted on back above the model # Jan. 2006

But I paid full price..

nerdzoo

03-19-06, 10:07 AM

Some pages back, someone suggested, and others seconded, setting up a survey on this TV. Here's my attempt to systematically collect information, which hopefully may shed light on some of the technical difficulties many have and are experiencing with their TVs. One question that would be nice to answer is the pervasiveness of this so-called black screen problem. Is it a hardware problem or a firmware problem? Perhaps if we collect enough information, we can share this with Philips. If you are a participant in this forum, even if you have not experienced technical difficulties with your unit, I would encourage you to participate in the survey below:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=310171912834

The information collected in the survey will be shared in this forum in aggregate form.

(p.s. don't let the name of the survey site fool you - it is a legitimate survey host :-)

simms51

03-19-06, 10:38 AM

nerdzoo.... A big thumbs up to you for your efforts in putting this survey together. I just completed it and I hope this will eventually lead to a solution to our problem. Thanks again.

MacroProd

03-19-06, 10:59 AM

Thank you Nerdzoo!! I just completed your survey. :)

sgr215

03-19-06, 11:17 AM

Completed the survey. So far no issues with my tv in almost four months of use. Hopefully it'll help solve the issue for you all who have the BS issue!

RICKSRIBS

03-19-06, 11:35 AM

I just completed the survey..... no major problems...except TVGOS will load all my channels & listings...THEN this morning I turn it on & the channel line-up is still there...but no listings

Casey Jones

03-19-06, 12:49 PM

I've commented on this a few times so here goes again. When the TV set wont turn off as you describe its because the PDP has gone into protection mode. To see exactly why this is happening you need to look in the error buffer(log) and interpret the codes. The error buffer maintains the last five errors(if any) the PDP has encountered. Instructions on how to read and interpret this are contained in the service manual as well as how to gain entry into the service mode or CSM menu. If you cant or dont want to do this its very easy to have Philips schedule a service tech to come to your home and diagnose it as long as you are still under warrranty or extended warranty.The service techs used are the same tech used for all other plasma panels. I'm surprised no one experiencing this reported problem has done this yet! The diagnosis takes seconds to conduct . This is the only way you will be able to tell what your problem is, if you do in fact have one. The Survey although well intentioned isnt going to bring about a timely resolution , an individual Service call will. In addition you can review the reasons for issue of various firmware upgrades. And role back your existing firmware to an earlier version. Your manual has instructions on how to do this. Remember firmware upgrades are issued to resolve certain issue, issues that you may not be experiencing, If thats the case dont upgrade you dont need to " If it ain't broke dont fix it". I have never had this problem but if I did I would have a tech check it out yesterday and not wait .From what I can see all of you should still be under the manufacturers warranty as your panels are less then one year old. If you find no errors reported then its not a hardware problem with the PDP the internal VIPER software diganoses system conditions in real time and reports the variables. Rather a handshake problem with your source device(s)or a local environmental issue (power, static STB or SAT configuration ,cabling signal etc.) Looking forward to hearing about your problem being resolved. :)

JohnnyTL

03-19-06, 01:18 PM

MacroProd

03-19-06, 01:27 PM

To see exactly why this is happening you need to look in the error buffer(log) and interpret the codes. The error buffer maintains the last five errors(if any) the PDP has encountered. Instructions on how to read and interpret this are contained in the service manual as well as how to gain entry into the service mode or CSM menu.

Thank you very much for re-posting this. I have not seen your previous comments on this topic and I can assure you it wasn't due to lack of effort! :)

I downloaded the service manual from a link posted here on the forum. For others who would like it, you can find it here: http://www.pcrescueoc.com/philips.htm

The manual describes a 'protection mode' which we are all referring to here as 'black screen'. My last occurrence was a few days ago and my error log shows 'No Errors'. Casey Jones: since you seem to know what you're talking about, what could cause this? I have a Sony rear projection LCD in the other room connected to the same cable source and I never have any issues whatsoever with dropouts?

EDIT: The manual does say that an error code will only be logged if the TV does NOT go into protection mode. In this case, the LED blinks and you must interpret the blinks as instructed in the manual.

lorkp

03-20-06, 03:46 AM

Hi, would someone please post the default whitepoint settings that are accessible through the SAM menu (062596 info, then alignment, white point etc.)? I would like to know the values from the blue green red whitepoints and then the offset values. this would be appreciated very much. thank you

Casey Jones

03-20-06, 04:18 AM

Thank you very much for re-posting this. I have not seen your previous comments on this topic and I can assure you it wasn't due to lack of effort! :)

I downloaded the service manual from a link posted here on the forum. For others who would like it, you can find it here: http://www.pcrescueoc.com/philips.htm

The manual describes a 'protection mode' which we are all referring to here as 'black screen'. My last occurrence was a few days ago and my error log shows 'No Errors'. Casey Jones: since you seem to know what you're talking about, what could cause this? I have a Sony rear projection LCD in the other room connected to the same cable source and I never have any issues whatsoever with dropouts?

EDIT: The manual does say that an error code will only be logged if the TV does NOT go into protection mode. In this case, the LED blinks and you must interpret the blinks as instructed in the manual.

You may want to look at page 29 of 151 of the service manual. Section 5.7 protections.

Tiga

03-20-06, 08:38 AM

MacroProd

03-20-06, 10:33 AM

Sorry that this was re-posted. This issue concerns the other Philips owners, too and I wanted to make sure that we all have access to it as it may help resolve this issue.

I've had the black screen about 5 or 6 times. My error log/buffer is empty and during the reboot/proctect mode/black screen I saw no blinking LED's communicating an error. The TV simply returns to normal operating mode within 5-20 or so seconds. The manual does state that the detection of a supply dip or a supply loss will lead to a cold reboot. Occasionally the starting of certain appliances in my home will dim my lights. It is possible the TV is very sensitive to this?

I have ordered an APC Voltage Regulator.
http://www.apc.com/resource/include...base_sku=LE1200

If I find that this solves my problem, I will let you all know.

nerdzoo

03-21-06, 09:08 AM

black_macleod

03-21-06, 09:17 AM

Preliminary results from the survey can be found at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/DisplaySummary.asp?SID=1912834&U=191283467998

I've had to disable the responses to the open-ended questions because by not doing so, the responses to the email question would have been revealed.

If you still want to participate in the survey, please follow the link below.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=310171912834

Thanks for compiling this, but --- I mean is there any way to correlate the data? For instance, those having BS issues having bought their units at Costco (or some other place, just Costco was the largest block) or BS issues being tied to purchase dates.

black_macleod

03-21-06, 09:19 AM

POSSIBLE BLACK SCREEN CAUSE FOUND:

So last night I was doing something in another room, came back to a BS TV! I was like OH NO I'VE CAUGHT THE CURSE!!!! Turned the TV off and back on and it said "GAME" --- hmmm, I look down at my cute little cat sitting on my TV remote, hehe, she had changed the input!

Maybe we should correlate BS problems to pet ownership?

nerdzoo

03-21-06, 10:14 AM

Thanks for compiling this, but --- I mean is there any way to correlate the data? For instance, those having BS issues having bought their units at Costco (or some other place, just Costco was the largest block) or BS issues being tied to purchase dates.

The number responding as of this date is still too small to make any meaningful correlation. But that is the plan at the conclusion of the survey. Hopefully, we'll have more responses by then.

black_macleod

03-21-06, 10:21 AM

The number responding as of this date is still too small to make any meaningful correlation. But that is the plan at the conclusion of the survey. Hopefully, we'll have more responses by then.

Cool, thanks :)

seansed

03-21-06, 06:53 PM

I actually just happened to get a problem recently. I use HMDI for my Digital Cable and it has worked great for a few days... but when i turned it on today, the screen goes completely green after about 5 seconds! I switched it to component and it works fine, but when I use my HDMI it goes green! Is this a television problem, or is it a cord problem?

jdef

03-21-06, 09:47 PM

I bought mine in January, my SN starts with YA1A0601. Barely enough time to get here (NYC) from Mexico.

I think this TV is a hot seller (I have the 50" 9630). Great bang for the buck, with unique features and awesome PQ.

I am hopeful that since my serial number isn't in the range, and that since I've never had BS problems at all, that the fix will solve everyone's problem. Mine is YA 41st week of 05, which I don't think makes any sense since I bought it in November. Maybe it was hot from the factory?

r0gue5

03-21-06, 10:05 PM

I have the model without the ambilight feature. (42pf7320a)

unfortunately it seems to be messed up, and I am severely pissed off.
It ran fine for like 3 weeks, (probably only used like 10 hours), and now all of a sudden I look up and there are 2 horizontal black lines across the screen abolut 3/4 of the way from the bottom and 1/16" apart.

I tried unplugging, turning off, menu stuff, nothing has worked.
please tell me I am not Fu&^ed
anyone heard of this?

should I just return it to be safe?

This is the exact reason I paid extra $ for a name brand TV, to avoid it being a P.O.S.

please tell me there is an easy fix or I accidentally pressed the "black lines" button...

note*
this is with an antenna source, (cable guy is comin' tomorrow) though I have gotten the same black bars with a dvd, and the antenna does not go thru the dvd player, so the lines appear to originate within the TV

r0gue5

03-21-06, 10:22 PM

ok, about 45 minutes after they appeared, the black lines disappeared...

WTF

I'm glad they're gone, but I'm still concerned... I mean, i don't want them to come back the day after the warranty expires...

update*
#%&^#@
They're back 20 minutes later, grrr

42Plasmaman

03-22-06, 10:17 AM

JohnnyFive

03-22-06, 12:26 PM

Hi, I'm considering buying one the 42pf7220a but all these reports about the black screen have me concerned. One person reviewed the product on another site (cnet) said the black screen problem is firmware related and happens when you use the component video inputs (not sure if you actually have to be viewing the source from them or just have them plugged in). Can anyone confirm/discredit this postulate?

MacroProd

03-22-06, 12:29 PM

I have the BS problem and I am using component video inputs with my cable box. I believe others here report the issue using other connection methods. Can you provide a link to this review?

mongered

03-22-06, 12:42 PM

I have had the BS problem. I do have the latest firmware (BX23U-1.0.13.0 01441). Loaded it as soon as I set up the TV. No new updates since then.

BS has has occurred while viewing SA8300HD DVR set top box connected via HDMI, and also while viewing DVDs via Sony DVP-NS70H up-converting DVD player also hooked up with HDMI.

On one occurrence, the BS stayed on the screen and I was not able to power off the TV with the remote or at the set. Had to unplug the TV to reset.

Another time with the BS, I could not power off via remote, but was able to power off at the set.

Several times, the BS has appeared for several seconds, and then regular viewing would resume.

Another issue is occasional loss of audio when switching channels. This is usually fixed by changing to another channel, and then back.

Even though there is a lot I like about the Philips, I have decided to return the unit for a refund. To replace it, I have ordered a new 42" Panny 42PX60Ufor about the same as I paid for the Philips. Hope the Panny works out.

JohnnyFive

03-22-06, 01:37 PM

I have the BS problem and I am using component video inputs with my cable box. I believe others here report the issue using other connection methods. Can you provide a link to this review?

I can't post the URL because I am new, but if you go to cnet and search for 'philips 42pf7320a', then follow the link to view all the reviews, it's the first review with a '2 out of 10' rating.

MacroProd

03-22-06, 01:56 PM

Too many people are returning this TV or giving it bad reviews for the same issue. I don't blame them one bit, but I wish we could get it worked out. I don't believe it is a hardware issue, as reinforced by some of us checking our Error Logs, but I also don't think it is cable source problem or a power issue... even though I am exploring a possible power problem. I have another comparably new TV in the house (Sony), desktop computers, laptop computers, etc. The only appliance that turns itself off is this TV.

I hope to find the reason.

Sour Lemon

03-22-06, 04:19 PM

I think this has something to do with being hooked up via HDMI. Right now my dvd player is connected to the TV via component and also connected to my Dish HD receiver. The Dish receiver is connected to the TV via HDMI. (I'm expirementing with the upscaling feature of the receiver). When playing a dvd I notice I get all the format options when watching the dvd through component, but when I switch to HDMI to watch the dvd through the satellite receiver I only get the 2 options you mention.

Tiga

Same problem here. I've been watching DVDs with 4:3 content through the component input and I use the 4:3 format option to view it unstretched with the side bars. Now that I've switched to HDMI, I have to watch 4:3 content distorted to fill the screen? I really hope a firmware update will eventually fix this.

-milt

black_macleod

03-22-06, 11:31 PM

Same problem here. I've been watching DVDs with 4:3 content through the component input and I use the 4:3 format option to view it unstretched with the side bars. Now that I've switched to HDMI, I have to watch 4:3 content distorted to fill the screen? I really hope a firmware update will eventually fix this.

-milt

If you put the TV on widescreen, it shouldn't stretch the 4:3 content, mine doesnt.

heprat

03-24-06, 09:59 AM

I just looked at the results of the survey. I was surprised at how few people have actually called Phillips to complain about the BS issue. :(
I would think the more people that call, complain, ask for assistance or warranty exchange the more likely they'll be to address it. Maybe not but the call is free.

BTW - thanks for preparing the survey. great job. and thanks to all you that took the time to fill it out.

MacroProd

03-24-06, 10:45 AM

I was surprised at how few people have actually called Phillips to complain about the BS issue. :(

I could not agree more! I feel like I am trying to 'Rock The Vote' or something, but I hope you all realize that coming to this forum, complaining about the BS issue, asking others here how to solve it and listening to us all throw arrows in the DARK (yes... we are ALL dumbfounded), is NOT going to get Philips or anyone else to fix this issue.

This forum is for primarily entertainment purposes! Philips employees are not going to come here and read your complaints.

And, yes, thank you to Nerdzoo for creating the survey and to all of you who have completed it. Although it all means nothing if Philips doesn't hear from each of you. Repeatedly.

craigvalk

03-24-06, 05:46 PM

I can't post the URL because I am new, but if you go to cnet and search for 'philips 42pf7320a', then follow the link to view all the reviews, it's the first review with a '2 out of 10' rating.

Geez I just went and looked and it was higher than that.

Jeremy911

03-24-06, 07:23 PM

I've emailed Philips several times and each time they just say to call for service. Having it serviced will do nothing but remove my TV for several weeks without anything being done. I've been through that before. Is there a way to get the BBB or Consumer Reports involved? Even though the problems probably don't pose a safety threat, it sure is annoying.

vfrjim

03-25-06, 08:17 AM

Anyone listen to this week's HTguys podcast? http://www.htguys.com/audio/2006/HDTV-2006-03-24.mp3
They talk about all Philips plasma tv's and that they tend to overheat and will be serviced by philips for this issue. I wonder if it relates to the 42PF7320A?

simms51

03-25-06, 10:27 AM

jeremy911 and macroprod...... I own the 50PF9630A and I have actually called Philips tech support about this issue. To their credit, they did refer me to a shop here where I live. My concern is after I talked to the shop, they didn't give me the confidence that they were knowlegeable about working on plasma sets. Plus the fact they would have to pick up the set and take it back to their shop, they don't provide in-home service. I didn't like the idea of my set getting damaged, scratched or whatever. I paid too much of my hard earned money to take the risk.

I hope philps realizes there is a problem and will address it with either a firmware upgrade or a re-call, i.e. the ambilight re-call.