Robert,

I got my set today and I have to say I am not as happy as I hoped I would be.

I hate to say that my Panny TH42PD25UP EDTV has a better HD picture than this set.

This is coming from a SA4200HD box using DVI-HDMI monster cable :D

I never used AVIA on either just stole some settings from this forum.

I have already sold the old Gateway 42" plasma in the den to a friend and the Panny is there now. Maxent 50" is in the bedroom.

Not sure at this point if I am going to keep it or not.

Makes sense somewhat, in that Maxent is using the supposed same stuff that the Panny that costs twice is much is using.

Robert
Maxent is quoting specs of the 7th generation glass. The Panny should have the 8th generation glass. I would expect 8 billion color glass to be superior to the 16.7 million color glass (and not just in the number of colors, but increase PQ and quality control, etc.). Plus, Panny owners seem to be fine with lower performing DVD players, so I believe Panny uses better signal processing circuitry. This would make the Maxent more susceptible to exterior signal quality whether from DVD player, cable or whatever.

As a side note, my CSR told me that every TV they sell would look much better at home because of the crappy feed they have....

where can i change the DNR? i do not see it in the picture menu

It's right under the Picture submenu and just below 'Black Level Ext.' and it's 'Noise Reduction'

HTH

This would make the Maxent more susceptible to exterior signal quality whether from DVD player, cable or whatever.

As a side note, my CSR told me that every TV they sell would look much better at home because of the crappy feed they have....

Reminded me of some more snake oil one of the BB CSRs tried to pass off on me. Told me that the bluriness might be because they quickly hooked it up and plugged it into their normal power strip. He said that the other TVs looked better because they were on a Monster Power Conditioner....Boy, are these guys 'trained' or what.

Robert

I spent a good hour adjusting the Maxent. BB had it mounted next to a Zenith 50" HD, and a Toshiba 42" HD. Overall, I think the Maxent held up pretty good against those other two units. Blacks were black, and the colors were vibrant. Though, I must say I felt the Zenith had a brighter screen with cleaner whites (I was surprised how good the Zenith looked). Not convinced, I drove over to Costco and looked at the Vizio 50". I asked one of the sales people for the remote and played with the settings for about 10 min. Overall I thought it performed well, and appeared to have a brighter screen then the Maxent, however, on some scenes it looked a bit washed out and the colors weren't as vibrant. So I drove back to BB, played with the Max some more and finally bought it. I'm hoping that the whites will look better when I hook it up at home. We will see...

He said that the other TVs looked better because they were on a Monster Power Conditioner....Boy, are these guys 'trained' or what.
I will say that I passed on the Monster Power Conditioner that doubles the life of a plasma TV. Didn't even let them tell me how much.

TV delivered tomorrow - I plan on evaluating it based on the price I paid and how much I want to spend to ensure the best possible input signal.

And just for fun, maybe I'll hook it up to a balanced power supply and see the plasma gas instantly rejuvenate... ; )

Someone on FW reported that this Maxent has a Version Two Image board with an HDMI bug....Anyone know what this means?

I spent a good hour adjusting the Maxent. BB had it mounted next to a Zenith 50" HD, and a Toshiba 42" HD. Overall, I think the Maxent held up pretty good against those other two units. Blacks were black, and the colors were vibrant. Though, I must say I felt the Zenith had a brighter screen with cleaner whites (I was surprised how good the Zenith looked). Not convinced, I drove over to Costco and looked at the Vizio 50". I asked one of the sales people for the remote and played with the settings for about 10 min. Overall I thought it performed well, and appeared to have a brighter screen then the Maxent, however, on some scenes it looked a bit washed out and the colors weren't as vibrant. So I drove back to BB, played with the Max some more and finally bought it. I'm hoping that the whites will look better when I hook it up at home. We will see...

Curious if your experience at BB was like mine, and the settings required much more Contrast and Brightness to get a good picture than is being reported here by home users.

I'm surprised to see the late-coming complaints to this thread... I picked one up last night and so far am pretty happy with the set. I gave up trying to do any comparisons in the store, as their setup and environment was too inconsistant. In fact, the Maxent was hooked up via svideo while the 2 sets next to it were component.

First, the mandatory best buy comment - it took nearly an hour for me to purchase the set, because they were just that incompetant. They gave me zero hassle about the pricing, reward zone membership, etc - however they could not figure out how to sell me the set that they didn't have in stock. (although the warehouse 9 miles away had 90 in it) After the runaround I went through, there was no way I was giving them 3 bills for the warranty - rather I used my amex card which according to the fine print will double the 1 year standard warranty with all the same features. I figured 2 years will have to do.

As for the Maxent itself - my initial observations using a 480p dvd player: Out of the box, the picture looked pretty iffy. This was almost entirely due to the Sharpness control being set at 50. Turning that down to "1" was an immediate and significant improvement. The set does seem to favor green a bit - but still respectable overall. After playing with it for a bit, I'm definitely happy with how it looks although dont' ahve any other 50" plasmas in my home to compare. No HD source yet, although I think I'm going to go pick up an upconverting DVD and see how that looks.

One comment about SD material - I am plesently surprised. I hooked up via svideo to my old UltimateTV, and movies recorded on there look very acceptable. Obviously the compression shows though, and it can't touch the DVD source, but I don't think I'll have to throw away my Tivo. I'm still in a hurricane zone so no cable back yet, but generally speaking I think SD will be okay - surprising because this screen seems huge compared to my 32" Sony CRT.

For the price, I think it was a good deal and initially, I'm definitely happy with the purchase. My settings below as a starting point - although I would encourage discussion about them:

Mode (User)
Contrast: 79
Brightness: 59
Color: 46
Tint: -3
Sharpness: 1
Black Level (off) (haven't seen where you can turn this on?)
Noise Reduction: Off
Color temp: Cool

Someone on FW reported that this Maxent has a Version Two Image board with an HDMI bug....Anyone know what this means?

He's referring to the firmware version of the Maxent 42X3. Seems the prior version had a red push with HDMI. The firmware update is a dealer only kind of thing. Check out post #832 in this thread: (replace the _ with a period as I cannot post links yet)

avsforum_com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6448941&highlight=wfujosh#post6448941

My settings below as a starting point - although I would encourage discussion about them:

Mode (User)
Contrast: 79
Brightness: 59
Color: 46
Tint: -3
Sharpness: 1
Black Level (off) (haven't seen where you can turn this on?)
Noise Reduction: Off
Color temp: Cool

That's almost exactly what I ended up with in the store, and I was told by two other members here that their picture was unwatchable at those settings....Something is definitely up between different Maxents...

As for the 'Black Level ext' setting, it says in the manual, not available for this model.

He's referring to the firmware version of the Maxent 42X3. Seems the prior version had a red push with HDMI. The firmware update is a dealer only kind of thing. Check out post #832 in this thread: (replace the _ with a period as I cannot post links yet)

avsforum_com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6448941&highlight=wfujosh#post6448941

Thanks for the info...So, whose has a Maxent 50 in hand, can check their S/W version and wants to make the call to Maxent to see if the same input boards were used with the HDMI problem?

Robert

Thanks for the info...So, whose has a Maxent 50 in hand, can check their S/W version and wants to make the call to Maxent to see if the same input boards were used with the HDMI problem?
I don't have mine yet (soon). If people will post their settings AND their firmware version, a pattern will quickly develop.

I should first point out this is my first large screen TV, first HDTV and first PDP.

HD looks great using SA8300 STB. SD is "ok", but as stated above, I do not have a very good historical PQ viewing reference point.

My FW version is 050823

While watching ESPN Sportscenter using Standard Definition signal (maybe we should all view the same source for better analysis) and feeding the signal to the 50X3 via S Video; between the two setups described in this thread built around Brightness/Contrast =79 (B/C79) and Brightness/Contrast=50 (B/C50), my clear preference is B/C50.

By the way, it is no surprise that SD looks much better via S video as compared to the Component connection I use for watching HD. I also tried watching HD using HDMI but did not notice much, if any, difference between it and Component. For this reason and because using the HDMI port out of the SA8300 disables the other SA8300 outputs, I'll stick with watching HD via Component and perhaps use the 50X3's HDMI connection for a future HD DVD player or an existing upconverting DVD player with HDMI out.

If there is any other emperical (as opposed to subjective) information I can share about this set, please let me know.

Rick,

Could you expound a little more on the SA8300 with the Maxent...I use TWC and I'll also be using the SA8300 DVR. I had planned on getting the HDMI cable with the STB, but am unaware of it disabling the other ports....Are you saying that If I hook up both the HDMI and S-video (for SD) to the Maxent from the 8300, I won't get a signal on the s-video cable when switching to the s-vid input?

Also, does the SA8300 DVR have two tuners? I feed both Digital and Analog throughout the house (Digital Cable and Analog for Modulated Surveillance cameras) and was hoping to avoid having to buy a separate analog cable box tuner to get my cameras back on the TV. Since the Maxent has not tuner at all, I'll need something.

Thanks

Robert

That's almost exactly what I ended up with in the store, and I was told by two other members here that their picture was unwatchable at those settings....Something is definitely up between different Maxents...

As for the 'Black Level ext' setting, it says in the manual, not available for this model.

I think what must be realized is people like different types of PQ. For instance I like a film look over video. If one were to watch my Maxent 42" they might think it was not saturated enough. My levels are Contrast 39 Brightness 42 Color 35. People look like real people and grass looks like real grass. Not the bright even slightly over saturated colors people are used to watching TV. Especially RP micro displays which tend to be really "Dick Tracy" movie looking.

There is no objective standard for what is correct for everyone. The only "standards" should be at the source, Even then they are dependant on someone tweeking a knob somewhere for "personal taste" as evident by shared live TV feeds and different colors on different stations and DVD conversions are a whole other issue.

I think I am seeing what the difference is with the picture settings here. The previous poster listed contrast/brightness and color way above what we had as optimum and was watching SD only, BB also is looping non HD, so settings posted were also higher...

What I have found is the 50/50/22/0 settings are perfect for HD and DVD but 'way' to dark and dull for SD. When going through the channels is kinda of annoying in going from one to the other.

I think I am going to hook up the cable box with two different outputs this way I can keep individual contrast/brightness settings depending on SD or HD. Or maybe the HDMI cable will help this.

Robert,

Could you expound a little more on the SA8300 with the Maxent...I use TWC and I'll also be using the SA8300 DVR. I had planned on getting the HDMI cable with the STB, but am unaware of it disabling the other ports....Are you saying that If I hook up both the HDMI and S-video (for SD) to the Maxent from the 8300, I won't get a signal on the s-video cable when switching to the s-vid input?

Yes, my experience is that if you connect both HDMI and S-video to the SA8300 (HD version), that the S-video will not output a signal. I too was surprised by this but seem to have found confirmation of this in one of the (many) threads that deal with the SA8300. However, my disappointment disappeared when I could not distinguish any PQ loss in viewing HD when using the Component connection instead of HDMI. But, the SA8300 is new to me as well and perhaps there is a solution to this problem that I have not yet discovered.

Also, does the SA8300 DVR have two tuners? I feed both Digital and Analog throughout the house (Digital Cable and Analog for Modulated Surveillance cameras) and was hoping to avoid having to buy a separate analog cable box tuner to get my cameras back on the TV. Since the Maxent has not tuner at all, I'll need something.

The SA8300 (HD version) does have two tuners. You can check the SA8300 threads to confirm. How critical is it that you view your cameras from the Maxent? If you have any non HD TV's in the house that use the SA Explorer 8000 (SD) STB, it would seem that you could stil view your cameras on anything connected to that STB.

Rick

Software version 50X3-050823

Quick comments:

50/50 B/C etc. settings look great for OTA 720p HDMI connection (HTS6000). Giants/Vikings game.

Tremendous loss of detail at those settings with cheapie Pannasonic DVD player using component input. Went with 80/67 B/C, color 33, tint -3, sharp 40, color natural using AVIA disc. The panny was sending 480i to the set.

SD is watchable - no complaints


Won't have a lot of time to play with it until later in the week.

OK after some more fiddling around I have found something very interesting! As I said above the B/C/C/S settings are different for HD and SD... that is fact on my set. But only through the component cables... huh?... yep.

I hooked my Motorola 6412 III component cable output to component 1 input on the Maxent. Used 50/50/22/0 settings... great!. No problems.

Now to get a second output and adjust the settings higher. I took the s-video out of the 6412 and sent it to the Maxent AV1 at the same time. I figured I would up the settings to 80/67/33/40 for SD because these settings did greatly help SD PQ on my original single component connection.

But the picture was awfull!!! Huh? the exact same settings for SD on component input and s-video input were vastly different.

Now follow me here. I then took my new s-video output and set the settings back to 50/50/22/0 and the picture was great!!! Especially using the 'Panaroma' setting. I couldn't believe it... very good SD picture quality.

One last step to additonal prove this was to view both inputs with SD on the same channel and a quick change with the input button. YEP!!! Picture is definitely hugely different and I can't believe how good SD now looks on S-video.

Except the annoyance of having to switch inputs for just watch TV in either SD or HD... I am now EXTREMELY happy!!

The more I look at my receipt the more I wonder if I shoud have just bought the 50PHD8UK. After BB warranty and tax it turned out that the 50PHD8UK is only $600 more. I figure that a TV is something you're going to live with for at least four years so why not get the "best". What do you guys think, should I cancel my order for the Maxent?

The more I look at my receipt the more I wonder if I shoud have just bought the 50PHD8UK. After BB warranty and tax it turned out that the 50PHD8UK is only $600 more. I figure that a TV is something you're going to live with for at least four years so why not get the "best". What do you guys think, should I cancel my order for the Maxent?

No. Give it a run for a few weeks and if your not happy, return it. You have 30 days.

MyTV will be here tomorrow at 3pm, I can't wait!

The more I look at my receipt the more I wonder if I shoud have just bought the 50PHD8UK. After BB warranty and tax it turned out that the 50PHD8UK is only $600 more.

Well that doesn't make any sense. After you add tax and the warranty to the other set, it'll cost just as much more as it did on the sticker.

However I'll admit - I was more inclined to go with the extended warranty on the "lesser known" brand set - however I'm happy with my decision in the end to simply use a credit card that doubles the warranty to 2 years. My out the door price was VERY reasonable all things considered.

On the "different people/different settings" issue: I think everyone is assuming too much out of their source inputs. Since this is a monitor and has no built-in tuner etc, we are all going to end up with settings that are a combination of the input and the TV. Put 2 dvd players side by side with Svideo outputs and they could have very different pictures. Ditto with the same dvd player and using the svideo vs component out. Some will have a hotter signal, some will favor one color over another, etc. That is certainly adding to the confusion of trying to 'standardize' on something.

Still no HD for me. After a few more hours with the set, I'm still very happy with the PQ. Only 2 new things have jumped out which bother me:

1) If I stand to the side of the set, especially when credits are playing at the end of a movie etc, I can VERY clearly see a 'double image' of the white text on the black background. This appears to be the text reflecting off the front screen (protective screen?)... since this is my first plasma, I'm not sure how common this is - not noticable in normal viewing though.

2) Man this thing gets HOT. I'm sure this is similar for all plasmas of this size, but whew I'm going to have to turn down my A/C when I watch movies. :-) When I finally get it mounted the way I want it, I'll most likely put a small blower fan underneath it, to keep air circulating. Cool electronics = long lasting electronics.

As a side note, my CSR told me that every TV they sell would look much better at home because of the crappy feed they have....
yea but the same crappy feed is going into the other TVs whose picture looks better. Strange.

yea but the same crappy feed is going into the other TVs whose picture looks better. Strange.

This is all still very subjective. What you think looks good and what I think looks good could be entirely different.

That's almost exactly what I ended up with in the store, and I was told by two other members here that their picture was unwatchable at those settings....Something is definitely up between different Maxents...

As for the 'Black Level ext' setting, it says in the manual, not available for this model.
I wonder if there's a way to look up production times for these unites by Serial #. If not, I'm curious if the Manufactured date might differ between the units that members reported as problematic, and those which were not.

Man this thing gets HOT. I'm sure this is similar for all plasmas of this size, but whew I'm going to have to turn down my A/C when I watch movies. :-) When I finally get it mounted the way I want it, I'll most likely put a small blower fan underneath it, to keep air circulating. Cool electronics = long lasting electronics.
Actually, I did a "laying on of the hands" test at BB and some units were drastically cooler to the touch. The 42 inch Maxent matches the 50 inch with an "ouch" level of hot (in scientific terms.... :D ).

I'm sure there is some cost saving measures that are done in the cheaper set whereas the higher priced units probably generate similar heat but are more isolated from the case.

yea but the same crappy feed is going into the other TVs whose picture looks better. Strange.
In reality, this is not true. Some have component inputs others don't etc. You have to be very careful to compare apples to apples.

By the way, I still haven't used the balanced power supply yet. I may start bottling up the extra plasma when I do and start reselling it to pay for the Maxent.... :)

Got my DVI-HDMI cable today, and hooked the Maxent up to the BHN HD STB. Settings look a little different - colors not quite as "vibrant" as I had thought they would be. Also, DNR stays "off" no matter what setting I put it on. Is this normal?

Someone at FW said the circuit board in the Maxent 42" had an HDMI problem, and this 50" possibly had it as well. Anyone have more info?

Someone at FW said the circuit board in the Maxent 42" had an HDMI problem, and this 50" possibly had it as well. Anyone have more info?
I have not experienced any of the red push yet with HDMI.

Each input has its own settings. Did you adjust the HDMI input first?

I have not experienced any of the red push yet with HDMI.

Each input has its own settings. Did you adjust the HDMI input first?No red push either, at least I don't think so. No, I did not. How do you do that?

No red push either, at least I don't think so. No, I did not. How do you do that?
Each time you select a new input source, the picture settings change. This allows you to have different user settings for RGB, HDMI, S-Video, component, etc. sources. Just select HDMI as the input and check the picture settings against the inputs that you like. Try the 50/50 brightness /contrast with 22 for color, 0 tint, 1 sharp for starters.

OK after some more fiddling around I have found something very interesting! As I said above the B/C/C/S settings are different for HD and SD... that is fact on my set. But only through the component cables... huh?... yep.

I hooked my Motorola 6412 III component cable output to component 1 input on the Maxent. Used 50/50/22/0 settings... great!. No problems.

Now to get a second output and adjust the settings higher. I took the s-video out of the 6412 and sent it to the Maxent AV1 at the same time. I figured I would up the settings to 80/67/33/40 for SD because these settings did greatly help SD PQ on my original single component connection.

But the picture was awfull!!! Huh? the exact same settings for SD on component input and s-video input were vastly different.

Now follow me here. I then took my new s-video output and set the settings back to 50/50/22/0 and the picture was great!!! Especially using the 'Panaroma' setting. I couldn't believe it... very good SD picture quality.

One last step to additonal prove this was to view both inputs with SD on the same channel and a quick change with the input button. YEP!!! Picture is definitely hugely different and I can't believe how good SD now looks on S-video.

Except the annoyance of having to switch inputs for just watch TV in either SD or HD... I am now EXTREMELY happy!!

Yup, I'm running my Dish dual tuner DVR via S-Video to the Maxent with the 50 settings (went to like 35 on color) and SD looks better in this TV than any other digital TV that I've seen to date ... no shite. I was not expecting this good of SD performance especially after watching the 65" Mitsu HDTV CRT from 9' away for about a year. The SD on that bad boy drains my will to live but I actually look forward to watching it on the Maxent. Difference is night and day. This is great because even though I have OTA's as well as Dish's HD package (and will probably go to Comcast now that they are launching HD's here and have more channels) 80% or more of what we watch is still SD so I'm very happy with it's performance.

Each time you select a new input source, the picture settings change. This allows you to have different user settings for RGB, HDMI, S-Video, component, etc. sources. Just select HDMI as the input and check the picture settings against the inputs that you like. Try the 50/50 brightness /contrast with 22 for color, 0 tint, 1 sharp for starters.Oh, so it remembers those settings. I'm at the 50/50 settings now. My Xbox won't play the Avia disc, so I have to wait for my 841 to get here from Amazon.

You have more than 30 days to return this TV because of the extended Holiday return policy... you have until 30 days after Christmas.

Jeremy,

I noticed from your post that you a dual dish DVR (Is that the 942. I'm thinking of upgrading to this from my old 322, but for existing subscribers it's a little pricey)

Are you finding that just for SD content, that you're getting a better PQ through the Maxent with S-video as opposed to component video or HDMI ?

I didn't realize that S-video would be that much better than component video or HDMI

I definitely try all three and with the suggested settings of 50/50/22/0

Yup, I'm running my Dish dual tuner DVR via S-Video to the Maxent with the 50 settings (went to like 35 on color) and SD looks better in this TV than any other digital TV that I've seen to date ... no shite. I was not expecting this good of SD performance especially after watching the 65" Mitsu HDTV CRT from 9' away for about a year. The SD on that bad boy drains my will to live but I actually look forward to watching it on the Maxent. Difference is night and day. This is great because even though I have OTA's as well as Dish's HD package (and will probably go to Comcast now that they are launching HD's here and have more channels) 80% or more of what we watch is still SD so I'm very happy with it's performance.

Yea I have Comcast and I agree in the fact that since there is no internal tuner we are all going to have different possible situations here.

The issue I explained with SD and HD looking different on component cables... could be my Motorola DVR and not the Maxent all. Not sure there, but I hope both look as good together with HDMI as they do now seperately with S-video and component cables.

Also, after watching SD channels for several more hours since my reconfig, I have to agree with the previously poster I quoted. Some channels would be hard pressed to know if they are SD and not HD... it's amazing... but overall the quality really ranges for SD, not all channels are great. A few show awful compression and artifacts. All depends on your source I guess and you know Comcast must have got a hell of a deal on those channels.

Heck I am just glad I don't have to 'try' to like watching SD and convince myself it's not that bad. Best of both worlds here. :)

I got it from BB yesterday and I have say I am less than thrilled about the PQ. When watching football earlier today (fox channel), there was considerable artifacts. Among other things the grass look very pixelated when the camera pans. I tried DVI-HDMI and component. It looks like the DVI-HDMI is a bit brighter with more detail in the dark area (of course with the same picture setting for the inputs). A few questions:

1. Since I am using the DVI-HDMI connection, does that mean I cannot get audio from the internal speaker? Since it's HDMI input, the audio has to come through there too? I mean is there a pair RCA audio tied to the HDMI input?

2. I can only see 16:9 and 4:3 in wide setting (no panoramic). Does it have anything to do with my comcast DVR cable box output?

Thanks for the help.

I got it from BB yesterday and I have say I am less than thrilled about the PQ. When watching football earlier today (fox channel), there was considerable artifacts. Among other things the grass look very pixelated when the camera pans. I tried DVI-HDMI and component. It looks like the DVI-HDMI is a bit brighter with more detail in the dark area (of course with the same picture setting for the inputs). A few questions:

1. Since I am using the DVI-HDMI connection, does that mean I cannot get audio from the internal speaker? Since it's HDMI input, the audio has to come through there too? I mean is there a pair RCA audio tied to the HDMI input?

2. I can only see 16:9 and 4:3 in wide setting (no panoramic). Does it have anything to do with my comcast DVR cable box output?

Thanks for the help.

The artifacts may have more to do with the signal source than the set.

In regard to HDMI, yes it should carry an audio signal if the source and the input are both HDMI. However if your source component is outputting video through DVI and you are converting the DVI to HDMI then I don't think that the audio will work.

As for the limited zoom options the Maxent only provides adjustable zoom with the composite and S-video inputs. There are no zooms available in the HDMI and components.

The artifacts may have more to do with the signal source than the set.

In regard to HDMI, yes it should carry an audio signal if the source and the input are both HDMI. However if your source component is outputting video through DVI and you are converting the DVI to HDMI then I don't think that the audio will work.

As for the limited zoom options the Maxent only provides adjustable zoom with the composite and S-video inputs. There are no zooms available in the HDMI and components.

Thanks for the quick reply. Another question just came to mind. The Master burn in thread stressed dial down the contrast and brightness. Does that mean I should dial down them below 50 to prevent burn in for the first hundreds hours watching?

Jeremy,

I noticed from your post that you a dual dish DVR (Is that the 942. I'm thinking of upgrading to this from my old 322, but for existing subscribers it's a little pricey)

Are you finding that just for SD content, that you're getting a better PQ through the Maxent with S-video as opposed to component video or HDMI ?

I didn't realize that S-video would be that much better than component video or HDMI

I definitely try all three and with the suggested settings of 50/50/22/0

Nope... 522. Whatever you do, do NOT purchase the current HD DVR receivers. The current receivers are mpeg2 compression and the new standard will be mpeg4 and Dish plans to convert all HD channels including current HD channels to mpeg4. Once that happens your receiver will be literally useless. Then you're at the mercy of Dish and their top notch (sorry, I just wet myself laughing) upgrade program for existing customers. I plan to wait for the mpeg4 receivers w/DVR (they just released the mpeg4 HD receiver but it's not HD) before I look into adding another HD receiver to my line-up.

I tried raising my contrast and brightness settings from 50 to 60, and I must admit that it is a better picture than I had. There was more detail due to having less dark areas. I had to raise my color level to about 25-26 to accomodate the brighter picture, and changed the temperature to cool (was set to natural). I again tried the settings someone posted earlier, where the brightness and contrast where in the 70s and 80s, and I still think the PQ is bad. The picture was way too bright, and the colors appeared torchy. I also want to point out that running the levels that high will probably make your set more susceptible to burn in, especially during the first 100 hours. Even though I see a difference with brightness and contrast at 60, I'm keeping mine at 50 for the first 100 hours, and will probably raise it to 60 afterwards. I wouldn't even consider running it in the 70s or 80s in the break in period, and probably not after that either.

So just something to consider - even if it makes the picture look better, there is a chance of harm.

Among other things the grass look very pixelated when the camera pans.
Can anyone else confirm this?

I tried raising my contrast and brightness settings from 50 to 60, and I must admit that it is a better picture than I had. There was more detail due to having less dark areas. I had to raise my color level to about 25-26 to accomodate the brighter picture, and changed the temperature to cool (was set to natural). I again tried the settings someone posted earlier, where the brightness and contrast where in the 70s and 80s, and I still think the PQ is bad. The picture was way too bright, and the colors appeared torchy. I also want to point out that running the levels that high will probably make your set more susceptible to burn in, especially during the first 100 hours. Even though I see a difference with brightness and contrast at 60, I'm keeping mine at 50 for the first 100 hours, and will probably raise it to 60 afterwards. I wouldn't even consider running it in the 70s or 80s in the break in period, and probably not after that either.

So just something to consider - even if it makes the picture look better, there is a chance of harm.

Funny you post that

I tweaked with Digital Essentials and my own eyes while watching HD Desperate Housewives with my wife (Very good HD quality)

Contrast: 50
Brightness: 60
Color: 35
Tint 0
Sharp 1
Cool

This is over HDMI

I am finally happy with the picture.

I still must say though, my Panny TH42PD25UP (EDTV) in the den has a better HD picture than this Maxent.

Got my DVI-HDMI cable today, and hooked the Maxent up to the BHN HD STB. Settings look a little different - colors not quite as "vibrant" as I had thought they would be. Also, DNR stays "off" no matter what setting I put it on. Is this normal?
Someone at FW said the circuit board in the Maxent 42" had an HDMI problem, and this 50" possibly had it as well. Anyone have more info?

Not sure if it is normal, but mine is the same over HDMI.

2 out of 2 = normal :D

I need someone to independently confirm the following:

With an HDMI input signal, press "wide" on the remote (under the sliding panel). Any difference in the red levels?



On the set I have, the following occurs:

1. HDMI OTA input signal from HTS6000
2. Pressing "wide" changes 16:9 to 4:3 and causes red saturation. It remains even if "wide" is selected again to change the ratio back to 16:9.

There are three ways to reset the color at this point:

1. Power cycle the monitor (turn it OFF then back ON)
OR
2. Cycle the input signal on the OTA HTS6000 (e.g., switch on OTA to go from 720p to 1080i or vice versa)
OR
3. Select "input" on the remote and cycle back to HDMI


Changing the HDMI ratio is not something I personally would do, but was playing around with it due to some bizarre local HDTV signal ratios.


EDITED to add third way to reset color.

Can anyone else confirm this?

I watched the game today on FOX HD and the grass had no pixalation.

I asked my brother in law, who has the Maxent also and watched the game today at his house on FOX HD and he did not see any either.

I need someone to independently confirm the following:

With an HDMI input signal, press "wide" on the remote (under the sliding panel). Any difference in the red levels?



On the set I have, the following occurs:

1. HDMI OTA input signal from HTS6000
2. Pressing "wide" changes 16:9 to 4:3 and causes red saturation. It remains even if "wide" is selected again to change the ratio back to 16:9.

There are two ways to reset the color at this point:

1. Power cycle the monitor (turn it OFF then back ON)
OR
2. Cycle the input signal (e.g., switch from 720p to 1080i or vice versa)


Changing the HDMI ratio is not something I personally would do, but was playing around with it due to some bizarre local HDTV signal ratios.


OMG, I was playing around today and got terrible red push that I could not correct with the settings.

I changed inputs and poof if was gone.

I was playing with the WIDE button under HDMI.

hmmmmmm

edit: I am at work until 7am, when I get home I will confirm for sure.

OMG, I was playing around today and got terrible red push that I could not correct with the settings.

I changed inputs and poof if was gone.

I was playing with the WIDE button under HDMI.

hmmmmmm

edit: I am at work until 7am, when I get home I will confirm for sure.

Easily reproducible for me, so I emailed Maxent about the issue. Will post when I get a response from them.

Here are my thoughts:

DVD looks great!

HD signal looks great! standard digital cable is satisfatory. i was used to a 32" so the SD signal didn't look all that bad.

XBOX looks great!
Hooked up my computer to it running 1366x768 and you can read all the text clearly.
played MAME on it. ever play street fighter 2 on a 50" plasma?!
played Civ4 on it. playing it on this looks CRAZY.
played HL2/CS source in 1366x768. flawless.

the remote sucks. i took the slide cover off so i would have access to the inputs directly.

can't wait to get my hdmi/dvi cable so that i can have the dvd/xbox/dvr hooked up all at the same time. (component/component/hdmi)

-armus

i bought this tv on friday and should get it on tuesday.

quick question for those who have this tv setup. i can't tell 100% from the earlier pictures, but do 1.85:1 dvd's fill the entire screen, or is there a tiny amount of black bars on the top and bottom? the earlier pictures of robots look like there aren't any extra bars, but can't be 100% sure. robots is a 1.85:1 dvd.

thanks.

Can anyone else confirm this?

I don't watch sports, but I turned on 2 football games this weekend to look at it, and saw no pixelization whatsoever.

Funny you post that

I tweaked with Digital Essentials and my own eyes while watching HD Desperate Housewives with my wife (Very good HD quality)

Contrast: 50
Brightness: 60
Color: 35
Tint 0
Sharp 1
Cool

This is over HDMI

I am finally happy with the picture.

I still must say though, my Panny TH42PD25UP (EDTV) in the den has a better HD picture than this Maxent.

IMO, your color setting is WAAAAAAAAAAAY too high. I'm trying to find the right number, but I have it narrowed down to between 25 and 30. At 35, fleshtones are red - everyone looks like a native american.

I'm surprised that youa re not happy with the HD picture. I have compared this picture to my 65 " Toshiba RP CRT HDTV, to my father in-law's 65" Mitsubishi RP CRT HDTV, and my brother-in-law's 60 inch Sony RP LCD HDTV, and my PQ is bar far the best on HS channels.

I need someone to independently confirm the following:

With an HDMI input signal, press "wide" on the remote (under the sliding panel). Any difference in the red levels?



On the set I have, the following occurs:

1. HDMI OTA input signal from HTS6000
2. Pressing "wide" changes 16:9 to 4:3 and causes red saturation. It remains even if "wide" is selected again to change the ratio back to 16:9.

There are three ways to reset the color at this point:

1. Power cycle the monitor (turn it OFF then back ON)
OR
2. Cycle the input signal on the OTA HTS6000 (e.g., switch on OTA to go from 720p to 1080i or vice versa)
OR
3. Select "input" on the remote and cycle back to HDMI


Changing the HDMI ratio is not something I personally would do, but was playing around with it due to some bizarre local HDTV signal ratios.


EDITED to add third way to reset color.


CONFIRMED

i bought this tv on friday and should get it on tuesday.

quick question for those who have this tv setup. i can't tell 100% from the earlier pictures, but do 1.85:1 dvd's fill the entire screen, or is there a tiny amount of black bars on the top and bottom? the earlier pictures of robots look like there aren't any extra bars, but can't be 100% sure. robots is a 1.85:1 dvd.

thanks.


I cant confirm all 1.85:1 DVDs but I can say there were no black bars on Robots.

I have been reading this thread for a while now. I noticed few users are not very happy about it. I want to pull the plug but I have not seen the TV in action yet in any BB in VA.
This will be my first HDTV and most time I will be watching SD programs.
I did see Zenith 50" Z50PX2D in BestBuy and PQ was awesome.In circuit city it looked less impressive compare to Panasonic 50" (Setting issue, As they didnt have remote for Zenith for some reason!)

Which is best as I havent seenMaxent in action yet.?

Thanks

I have been reading this thread for a while now. I noticed few users are not very happy about it. I want to pull the plug but I have not seen the TV in action yet in any BB in VA.
This will be my first HDTV and most time I will be watching SD programs.
I did see Zenith 50" Z50PX2D in BestBuy and PQ was awesome.In circuit city it looked less impressive compare to Panasonic 50" (Setting issue, As they didnt have remote for Zenith for some reason!)

Which is best as I havent seenMaxent in action yet.?

Thanks

the maxent 50x3 is on display at the fair lakes best buy in fairfax, va. it's in the normal tv section and not in the magnolia mini store. it's sitting next to a bunch of samsung plasma tv's, and in my personal opinion, holds up very well compared to other plasmas, and simply blows away the projection sets (although i'm biased...don't like rptv's!)

as for people not liking the set, i think the majority of the discussion seems to be around settings and lack of features. the picture settings are totally subjective, so what looks good to one person may not look good to another, so it's best to get a setup disc and set it up the way you like. it is lacking features like a cablecard slot or an hd tuner, but at the same time, the price can't be beat.

finally, if you're on the fence, any purchase made at best buy between nov. 1 and dec. 24 qualifies as a "holiday purchase", so you have until 30 days AFTER christmas to return the set, not just 30 days. bring it home, set it up, and if you still don't like it, you have until jan. 25 to return it. enough time to see bf deals, christmas deals, and after new year's deals.

the maxent 50x3 is on display at the fair lakes best buy in fairfax, va. it's in the normal tv section and not in the magnolia mini store. it's sitting next to a bunch of samsung plasma tv's, and in my personal opinion, holds up very well compared to other plasmas, and simply blows away the projection sets (although i'm biased...don't like rptv's!)

I've been watching a RPTV (65" Mitsu HD CRT) for about a year now and can say w/o a doubt this TV whoops it's ass in every way. If the cheapest 50" plasma hadn't been several thousand more than the Mitsu a year ago I would have bought one to begin with.

finally, if you're on the fence, any purchase made at best buy between nov. 1 and dec. 24 qualifies as a "holiday purchase", so you have until 30 days AFTER christmas to return the set, not just 30 days. bring it home, set it up, and if you still don't like it, you have until jan. 25 to return it. enough time to see bf deals, christmas deals, and after new year's deals.

This made me think of something. Best Buy has a 30 day price guarantee not because they have good customer service (Bwa!) but because any savvy customer knows that a 30 day return policy means a 30 day price guarantee. So, since the return window is increased to Jan 25th then that should also mean that the price guarantee is until Jan 25th. Interesting.

Well, I ordered my set on Thursday.

Thanks to those that told me how to get a salesperson to find it. The local bby didn't have any display models, and all the first guy I talked to did was check the bestbuy website for the unit. I got another salesman to check the inventory system and ordered it from the distro center.

I'm a little worried about spending that much sight unseen, but it sounds like others are very happy with the unit. It comes in tomorrow, but I'm at a conference all week in Seattle so I won't get it until Friday. I passed on the service plan when I ordered, but I think I'll probably add it on before my 30 day window is up.

Thanks all for what should be a great deal!

it does run hot. just went to touch the upper back panel and the first top 6" of the back panel is running hot. it's too hot to touch. the rest of the back and tv is cold. been running it now for 3 days (hurt my back so i've been stuck at home :( ) the upper part is all perforated so enough air is getting to it( i hope ). i'll try running it all week as i can't do much else with this injury.

will let everyone know how it turns out.

-armus

it does run hot. just went to touch the upper back panel and the first top 6" of the back panel is running hot. it's too hot to touch. the rest of the back and tv is cold. been running it now for 3 days (hurt my back so i've been stuck at home :( ) the upper part is all perforated so enough air is getting to it( i hope ). i'll try running it all week as i can't do much else with this injury.

will let everyone know how it turns out.

-armus
Too hot to touch has me a little concerned.

My TV arrived today, but the stand does not come until Saturday, so it's sitting in the box until then.

Anyone know a good upconverting DVD player?

Too hot to touch has me a little concerned.

My TV arrived today, but the stand does not come until Saturday, so it's sitting in the box until then.

Anyone know a good upconverting DVD player?

i think we'll be ok. i turned it off and in about 15-20 minutes the heat was gone. you'll notice there is ALOT of space and air holes in the back.

see for yourself.

-armus

I purchased this set sight unseen last week because it uses a Panasonic screen and the price can't be beat. It's replaced a 3 year old Mitsubishi WS-55819 that was a great TV.

I don't know why some here are making such a big deal as this is a bad purchase. The picture quality is great, especially for anyone upgrading from a CRT of even a couple years ago. The only other brands I'd consider is Panasonic or Pioneer and from a local brick and motor store, they are at least $1000 plus more.

I doubt this is going to have the best picture quality available "today" regardless of the price, I don't care as it's not going to be significantly worse either. As I've mentioned the PQ is excellent and it's significantly less money than the well known brands. I plan to use this for a year or so until prices come down on the 60" plus sets, then it's going into the bedroom where it will make for an insane setup there. If this was going to be my only display for the next 3 years I'd likely get a Panasonic just for the piece of mind and the fact I wouldn't have to explain who Maxent is to every guest that comes to my home. I think this is a great gap filler for those that are in the same situation as me of having an older set but wanting a more up to date and space saving display "today". I couldn't be happier with my purchase.

FW is reporting Maxent (Regent) as saying MX-50X3 has a 40,000 hour half life.

And with all that aside, the Dallas/Philly game and Letterman (can just about read his cards on his desk) are incredible in HD :) :) :) . However, I am noticing details that are sometimes better left unseen if you know what I mean... :eek:

FW is reporting Maxent (Regent) as saying MX-50X3 has a 40,000 hour half life.

And with all that aside, the Dallas/Philly game and Letterman (can just about read his cards on his desk) are incredible in HD :) :) :) . However, I am noticing details that are sometimes better left unseen if you know what I mean... :eek:

You mean how many actors could stand to stop smoking/drinking coffee/get a tooth whitening or simply brush more often? Amazing how un-white so many people's teeth actually look huh?

'I can't believe it's not butter!' :D

(BTW... while I'm offtopic... that Philly/Dallas game made me $2,400. Time to go buy another 50x3 :cool: )

I think this is a great gap filler for those that are in the same situation as me of having an older set but wanting a more up to date and space saving display "today". I couldn't be happier with my purchase.

Exactly. I bought the 42" as an eventual bedroom TV while the 50"s and up get cheaper. I'm counting on spending less then $2000 for a 50" or 60" Plasma in a couple years.

How do you check the amount of hours of use?

How do you check the amount of hours of use?

A watch and a notebook?

Don't think it matters since there is no lamp to burn out. Most likely in a "service mode" if at all.

A watch and a notebook?

Don't think it matters since there is no lamp to burn out. Most likely in a "service mode" if at all.


Which raises the next question; How can we get into the service menu (and what do we do when get there)? If only one of us knew somebody who knew somebody who worked in Tech Support at Maxent.

As I have stated in other posts, I could not distinguish a difference in HD PQ between HDMI and Component. Does anybody have a different experience to report?

FW is reporting Maxent (Regent) as saying MX-50X3 has a 40,000 hour half life.

And with all that aside, the Dallas/Philly game and Letterman (can just about read his cards on his desk) are incredible in HD :) :) :) . However, I am noticing details that are sometimes better left unseen if you know what I mean... :eek:


What is FW and isn't a 40,0000 half hour life very low?

What is FW and isn't a 40,0000 half hour life very low?

If it only gets 20,000 hours thats 9 years of 6 hour a day TV watching. MoRE then satisfactory . If your contrast and brighness are set at 50 now....well do the math.

Which raises the next question; How can we get into the service menu (and what do we do when get there)? If only one of us knew somebody who knew somebody who worked in Tech Support at Maxent.

As I have stated in other posts, I could not distinguish a difference in HD PQ between HDMI and Component. Does anybody have a different experience to report?


With a serial cable and notebook you can get into the "service mode" All the codes are in the manual.

Like you I am "lucky" as well as I cannot notice the difference between HDMI and component either. You will find many purists who do though and would prefer TWO HDMI inputs.

What is FW and isn't a 40,0000 half hour life very low?

I think the term is "half life", not "half hour life." Correct me if I'm wrong.

If you watched 3 hours of TV a day, 365 days a year, then the TV would last almost 40 years.

I think the term is "half life", not "half hour life." Correct me if I'm wrong.

If you watched 3 hours of TV a day, 365 days a year, then the TV would last almost 40 years.

Half life has been described as the time it takes the TV to reach half its factory brightness or lumen output. After 40,000 hours you will have to turn the contrast up 50% to get the same illumination.

I used 20,000 to illustrate a point that if the tV got HALF the manufacturers rating, it still is satisfactory. CRTs are rated at 15,000. Now there is a reference to which we all can compare.

Half life has been described as the time t takes the TV to reach half its factory brightness or lumen output.


And 40 years is plenty for me.

Anyone know if the HD TIVO has a remote code for the Maxent?

Update:I found this on the FAQ for the Maxent MX-42X3

"(1) We have identified other manufacturers of display products that have similar remote control information to ours. Depending on the universal remote you are using these other manufacturers may or may not work. Using the documentation that accompanied your universal remote, look up the following companies and input the 3 or 4 digit code associated with that company.
• Gateway
• Sampo
• Viewsonic
• Magnavox
• Phillips
• Marantz
• Pilot
(2) If the universal remote you are trying to program contains a “Code Search” function, (the remote will scan through all the manufacturer codes contained within the universal remote), we recommend that you try that procedure. It is possible that there may be another manufacturer’s code that may work with our monitor."


Thanks,
Token

What is FW and isn't a 40,0000 half hour life very low?

fw = fat wallet. There's a lot of talk of this tv on that website as well.

i think 40,000 hours is more than adequate for a half-life. remember, you can still watch the tv past this rating. but that 40,000 number makes me wonder what glass is actually in the set. all the specs point this set to using panasonic glass, but their 7 and 8 gen sets are rated at 60,000 hours. i wonder if this is down to electronics which is weird since the electronics are also made by panasonic.

another thing i noticed was that the maxent is rated at 16.7 million colors whereas the later gen pannies are all in the billions. i wonder if maxent has to under-rate their specs so that it doesn't look exactly like a panasonic panel.

edit: removed direct link.

fw = fat wallet (Deleted). There's a lot of talk of this tv on that website as well.

Please edit your post and remove the direct link. Direct links to vendors and price sites are not allowed on this forum. Please read the rules to keep these threads from getting locked.

Jeremy: have you noticed your sig is wrong? It should be "on fore", not "unfire". Or am I not getting the joke? :o

Anyway, I posted this over at FW, and I thought I'd post it here as well.

Something else I'd like to note: the half-life is an ESTIMATE. Just like hard drives have an MTBF (Mean Time Before [or Between] Failures), it's usually a very conservative number. It doesn't mean EVERY set will fail when that number is reached. It may very well fail well before then, or may last 10x as long. Check back in about 5 or 10 years and ask us then.

But let's do the math, since it appears several people were concerned with the 40k hours comment: There's 8,760 hours per year (24 hours per day x 365 days per year.) That means at a 40,000 hour HALF-LIFE, this set will have the same brightness for at least 4.5 years if you were to watch it every day, all day, 24 hours straight. After that, it MAY go down by 50% in brightness.

By comparison, a brand-new CRT would only last 18 months before reaching that point.

Doing the math, if you were a "heavy" TV/DVD/movie watcher, and watch it 12 hours a day (sleeping for 4, working for 8), the set will look like it does the day you bought it for 9 years.

Anyone wanna say that in 5 or 10 years they won't be in the market for a new TV anyway? Thought so.

Just as a FYI:

I e-mailed the press release contact for the MX-50X3 at Maxent with the following questions (summarized)

1) HDMI Red Saturation Bug

2) 16.7 Million color spec vs latest generation of Panasonic glass

3) QC issues (green push in some, blurry text, off whites)


They responded in a days time that they would:

1) Forward to Service Department

2) Forward to R&D department

3) Misunderstood my question said it was a Best Buy issue of not setting the set up properly

I countered:

3) Not a setup issue, I had the remote and couldn't correct

4) Added a question about the units running extremely hot.

Will post when I hear more info.

Robert

I Have a question for those of you with the TV already and have the manual in hand....Goto the RS232 Control section and see if there are codes for adjusting the R-G-B gain and bias settings. If you look in the 42X3 manual, it appears that using something like hyperterminal, you can adjust these. I wonder if the 50X3 will be the same.

Robert

1) HDMI Red Saturation BugI don't sem to have that. Reds look, well, red, on my set. Shades of red are the correct color that I think they should be.

2) 16.7 Million color spec vs latest generation of Panasonic glassI'm interested to hear their response. Like I asked on FW, anyone know of a way we can test if the glass can do more (or les) than the rated number of colors, and how to tell if it passes or fails?

3) QC issues (green push in some, blurry text, off whites)None of those affect my set. Whites look very white (I was watching the game in HD last night, and I was looking at the sideline markers, helmets, etc.)

Still, I'm interested in hearing their response. :)

Remember the BB trailer loops are not true HD and depending how the feed was split to your observed Maxent unit... that could have made a difference.

Heck, that's what 30 day return policies are for. I certainly wouldn't have bought and kept it... just based on the sales floor display.

While there's no substitute for an in-home audition, you are incorrect about the BB loops...they are 1080i served from a Syncore (sp?) hard drive unit. Some of the footage is upconverted, but very little.

I don't sem to have that. Reds look, well, red, on my set. Shades of red are the correct color that I think they should be.


It's been confirmed by several with the sets....It's not a problem viewing HDMI in normal widescreen mode, but select HDMI as your input, and then change the aspect ratio from wide to 4:3 and see what happens.

Robert

It's been confirmed by several with the sets....It's not a problem viewing HDMI in normal widescreen mode, but select HDMI as your input, and then change the aspect ratio from wide to 4:3 and see what happens.

RobertActually, I have done that, comparing the pic. No difference in color that I can see. Maybe my eyes are getting too old? :p

As far as image shift, what setting would be best: 10sec, 20sec, or 30 sec?

I Have a question for those of you with the TV already and have the manual in hand....Goto the RS232 Control section and see if there are codes for adjusting the R-G-B gain and bias settings. If you look in the 42X3 manual, it appears that using something like hyperterminal, you can adjust these. I wonder if the 50X3 will be the same.

Robert
Pages 22-24 have the RS-232 connection details and the RGB gain & bias commands are on Page 24.

Pages 22-24 have the RS-232 connection details and the RGB gain & bias commands are on Page 24.

So let us know how it goes when you adjust them ;)

Robert

got my hdmi/dvi cable and hooked it up.

the motorola HD-DVR that i have does not work with this cable for 480i (standard digital signal).
it does show local channels in 1080i( very clean) but does not show any digital channels.

CONFIRMED: the RED PUSH from switching from 16:9 to 4:3 using the HDMI. to fix, i have to go to Menu->Picture->color and change it one up then one down.

since i cannot watch anything but local channels or HD channels, i'm afraid i'm going to have to switch back to components. this does suck because i have the 2 component connections used up by the dvd and the xbox. i guess i'll have to take the xbox off.

anyone have a solution for this?

thanks,
-armus

got my hdmi/dvi cable and hooked it up.

the motorola HD-DVR that i have does not work with this cable for 480i (standard digital signal).
it does show local channels in 1080i( very clean) but does not show any digital channels.

CONFIRMED: the RED PUSH from switching from 16:9 to 4:3 using the HDMI. to fix, i have to go to Menu->Picture->color and change it one up then one down.

since i cannot watch anything but local channels or HD channels, i'm afraid i'm going to have to switch back to components. this does suck because i have the 2 component connections used up by the dvd and the xbox. i guess i'll have to take the xbox off.

anyone have a solution for this?

thanks,
-armus


I had the same issue with my SA4200HD box.

If you look in the manual for the TV it only accepts

720x480i
720x480p
1280x720p
1920x1080i

over HDMI

the box outputs 640x480i/p

I set my box to only output 1080i and let the TV do the conversion, looks great and I can watch all channels.

Hope that helps

I had the same issue with my SA4200HD box.

If you look in the manual for the TV it only accepts

720x480i
720x480p
1280x720p
1920x1080i

over HDMI

the box outputs 640x480i/p

I set my box to only output 1080i and let the TV do the conversion, looks great and I can watch all channels.

Hope that helps


thanks Argetni,

that did it. i can see all the channels again but the SD channels are not streched like they are in 480i using component cables.

For SD channels, do you get black bars on the side? my cable box doesn't allow me to change the bars to a different color.

I shouldn't watch the channels with black bars, right? Or I might get burn-in?

thanks again,
-armus

Yes you will get the black bars on SD channels.

Do not worry about the burn in.

I have three plasmas and I have watched TV with black bars on the sides and DVDs with black bars on the top and bottom since 2001 and I have no burn in from that.

(now the baby sitter leaving the TV on with the DVD player logo on the screen for 10 hours is a different story)

Just make sure to mix up your viewing, HD, DVD, SD and you will be fine.

Yes you will get the black bars on SD channels.

Do not worry about the burn in.

I have three plasmas and I have watched TV with black bars on the sides and DVDs with black bars on the top and bottom since 2001 and I have no burn in from that.

(now the baby sitter leaving the TV on with the DVD player logo on the screen for 10 hours is a different story)

Just make sure to mix up your viewing, HD, DVD, SD and you will be fine.

whew, thanks for the reassurance Argetni!

:D

-armus

It's been confirmed by several with the sets....It's not a problem viewing HDMI in normal widescreen mode, but select HDMI as your input, and then change the aspect ratio from wide to 4:3 and see what happens.

RobertI stand corrected: I was playing with the PIP, and when I turned it off, the display had red colors for the flesh tones. I had toselect HDMI as my input (even though it was aleady on that) and it went away.

Waiting to hear if anything from Maxent on the issues sent to them get answered. My GF brought up a good question, though, that has me curious: BB says that any purchases after Nov. 1 qualify as an Xmas purchase, and can be returned to the store up until Jan 28 - but is there a re-stocking fee? Like 10% or something?

I still haven't gone to BB and tried to get this week's deal (a $200 BB GC) or done anything about the extended warranty. Anyone have any success in that?

BB says that any purchases after Nov. 1 qualify as an Xmas purchase, and can be returned to the store up until Jan 28 - but is there a re-stocking fee? Like 10% or something?


There is no restocking fee.

got my hdmi/dvi cable and hooked it up.

the motorola HD-DVR that i have does not work with this cable for 480i (standard digital signal).
it does show local channels in 1080i( very clean) but does not show any digital channels.

CONFIRMED: the RED PUSH from switching from 16:9 to 4:3 using the HDMI. to fix, i have to go to Menu->Picture->color and change it one up then one down.

since i cannot watch anything but local channels or HD channels, i'm afraid i'm going to have to switch back to components. this does suck because i have the 2 component connections used up by the dvd and the xbox. i guess i'll have to take the xbox off.

anyone have a solution for this?

thanks,
-armus

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but what reason would you have from switching from 16:9 to 4:3 using HDMI? Is it just so you can stretch the 4:3 content?

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but what reason would you have from switching from 16:9 to 4:3 using HDMI? Is it just so you can stretch the 4:3 content?

i was really only doing it to test for the red push.

well it turns out hdmi/dvi only pumps out digital signals so i had to set the HD DVR to output only 1080i. that makes it so i can't stretch 4:3 content.
i would never need to switch from 16:9 to 4:3 so i'll never see the RED push again.

-armus

I purchased on Monday. The people in the Magnolia never questioned it.

i was really only doing it to test for the red push.

well it turns out hdmi/dvi only pumps out digital signals so i had to set the HD DVR to output only 1080i. that makes it so i can't stretch 4:3 content.
i would never need to switch from 16:9 to 4:3 so i'll never see the RED push again.

-armus

Okay thanks, thats what I was hoping you would say. Looks like the red push won't be an issue for me either.

After much consideration, I've decided that taking the 50" plasma TV back to Best Buy is what I need to do. I'm not totally happy about it, but there's a few reasons why, namely:
I'm a huge TiVo watcher, and TiVo is Standard Digital (SD) only. Watching TiVo on the plasma screen means I have to either stretch the content (pic looks terrible all stretched out), or watch it in 4:3 mode, which isn't much larger than my 36" Magnavox.
SD shows look "average" at best on the 50" plasma. The only way to connect the TiVo is via S-Video, which doesn't result in the best picture. I think TiVo looks better on my 36" Magnavox.
TiVo has no plans for an HD TiVo currently (outside of the test units that came out last year, or the DirecTV version, which is basically discontinued since DirecTV severed their relationship with TiVo), and I really don't want to switch to DirecTV AND pay ~$300 for a DirecTV HD TiVo, that will stop working in a year or so, just to record a few shows in HD.
Some issues with the courts and my ex-wife, that are better left unsaid on a public forum (those of you that know me know what I'm talking about.)
And last but not least, the GF and I have been talking about getting a house in the next year or so, and if I can make myself wait that long, a good 50" or larger (true) LCD HD TV will probably run about the same or less. And probably have more options to boot (cable-card, built-in HD TiVo - which at least one plasma screen already has), etc.I should be able to get a full refund from Best Buy, since their return policy only says there's a restocking fee on computers, cameras, etc., but not on TVs. It does say "Unless defective, a restocking fee of 25% will be charged on special order products, including appliances.", but I don't think this was a "special order" since it was an item they usually sell, and only ordered it from the warehouse since they had none in-store at the time. It sucks that I ordered an HD-upscaling DVD player already ($70 from Amazon), but I needed a DVD player anyway. Plus when I do go HD again, I'll have it ready and waiting.

I'm gonna miss it. HD shows looked fabulous, and I love wide-screen. But there's only a handful of channels in HD, and I just can't bring myself to switch to the BHN DVR, not after using TiVo. I've downloaded some HD shows and played them on my modded Xbox; the picture was great (much better than SD and just under a "real" HD show), but that's a PITA to do every time I want to watch something. TiVo records lots of programs for me automatically (TiVo picks are great), and it's nice to just pop on the TV and choose what I want to see. I've grown really used to watching TiVo - if I want to see a show, I usually wait until 15-20 minutes after it started, so I can skip the commercials (30 sec FF is a great feature!) Plus if I'm out and about, I can log into the TiVo manager online and set a recording up - whereas with downloading shows, I have to find them first, then download them, and hope the quality is good enough. The BHN DVR offers none of those options, and it'd cost me another $10 a month just to have the ability to record a few shows a month. :cool:

Don't get me wrong - the 50" Maxent plasma screen is awesome. It just doesn't fit in with my "big picture" at this time. The TV isn't the problem...my ex, my GF, and my plans for the future are. :(

I think I'll swing by BB tonight and talk to the manager, make sure there's no return fee (if he says there is, I'll scream and yell 'till they agree to waive it), and tell him when we're gonna bring it back. Fortunately I still have the box and all the packing material, so that won't be an issue.

(If anyone in the Tampa Bay FL area wants it for what I paid, PM me. Not trying to sell it or anything, but anyone who missed out on the deal last week and wants it at that price can just pay me for it and pick it up from me. I'll even throw in the DVI to HDMI cable I picked up for it. Mods if this is verboten please remove the comment or let me know and I will.)

I bought one on Tuesday, and got the same deal.

I think this is the panel number: MC127H27D8

I got no search results.

i went to best buy and stared at the back of the panasonic th-50px50u and noted that the panel number was: MC127H27F8. so it looks like we're dealing with a gen 8 panasonic panel, but i wonder what the letter difference is between the "D" panel and the "F" panel.

i wonder if this is the same panel that's used in the lower cost pm50u that they sell at costco.com. that panasonic model has the same missing features as the maxent like no tv tuner and no cablecard.

i went to best buy and stared at the back of the panasonic th-50px50u and noted that the panel number was: MC127H27F8. so it looks like we're dealing with a gen 8 panasonic panel, but i wonder what the letter difference is between the "D" panel and the "F" panel.

i wonder if this is the same panel that's used in the lower cost pm50u that they sell at costco.com. that panasonic model has the same missing features as the maxent like no tv tuner and no cablecard.

Likely two revisions (D to F) with the F panel being the latest? What was the number on previous generations?

And still, why the 16.77 million color spec and not 8.6 Billion (8th gen glass). Wish there was a way to talk to R&D at Regent. There are phone #'s on Maxent's website...Any smooth talkers here ;)

Robert

Likely two revisions (D to F) with the F panel being the latest?

hmm...i wonder then if these are refurb gen 8 panny glass. would make a great business case for both panasonic and maxent. hard for me to believe that panasonic would make brand new revision d and revision f glass at the same time. could also be why the maxents are rated at only 40k hours and not the usual 60k hours since they may already have some life in them.

Likely two revisions (D to F) with the F panel being the latest? What was the number on previous generations?

And still, why the 16.77 million color spec and not 8.6 Billion (8th gen glass). Wish there was a way to talk to R&D at Regent. There are phone #'s on Maxent's website...Any smooth talkers here ;)

Robert


Isn't your middle name "Smooth"? :) Come on Robert, give 'em a call for us.

Likely two revisions (D to F) with the F panel being the latest? What was the number on previous generations?

And still, why the 16.77 million color spec and not 8.6 Billion (8th gen glass). Wish there was a way to talk to R&D at Regent. There are phone #'s on Maxent's website...Any smooth talkers here ;)

Robert


Maybe some of the Maxent components are shared by the LG/Zenith 50 inch PDP. I noticed that the "power" "menu" buttons etc. on the bottom right side of my Maxent PDP appear to be in the same position as the same buttons on the LG and Zenith 50 inch PDP's. Actually the Maxent buttons are almost identical to the LG buttons. However, I have not had time to see if the same buttons are in the same positions. Maybe it is just engineering coincidence. Can anyone check this out?

Sent an EMAIL to Panasonic customer relations. I asked if Maxent used panasonic parts. Here was there response verbatim.

"The bottom line is: Panasonic plasmas offer the best combination of superb image quality, innovative technology, exceptional reliability, and great value.

No other plasma even compares. Thanks for your e-mail.

Oliver Carmona

Panasonic ideas for life"



It looks like he ducked my question, so I did not let him off the hook. I replied to his email and told him .........."thanks, but you did not answer my question."

Sent an EMAIL to Panasonic customer relations. I asked if Maxent used panasonic parts. Here was there response verbatim.

"The bottom line is: Panasonic plasmas offer the best combination of superb image quality, innovative technology, exceptional reliability, and great value.

No other plasma even compares. Thanks for your e-mail.

Oliver Carmona

Panasonic ideas for life"



It looks like he ducked my question, so I did not let him off the hook. I replied to his email and told him .........."thanks, but you did not answer my question."

i doubt they'll give you a straight up answer. i spoke with the maxent tech support guy and he gave me the same run around. when asked who makes the panels in their plasmas, all he told me was that it was from one of the "top 5 manufacturers". i tried to get more info out of him, but he said that he didn't have the info available.

we know that they are panasonic panels...the question is exactly what panel is inside them. older gen, different revision, refurb? i doubt we'll ever find out.

Does anyone know if the Maxent supports 16:9 resolutions with PC? The specs only mentioned 4:3? I've heard the 42" Maxent has overscanning problems when trying to set custom resolutions.

It looks like he ducked my question, so I did not let him off the hook. I replied to his email and told him .........."thanks, but you did not answer my question."
haha so much for smooth talking.

Anyway, I think the only way we might be able to get answers is by contacting Matushita, and ask them what type of panels they provide for Maxent.

i went to best buy and stared at the back of the panasonic th-50px50u and noted that the panel number was: MC127H27F8. so it looks like we're dealing with a gen 8 panasonic panel, but i wonder what the letter difference is between the "D" panel and the "F" panel.

i wonder if this is the same panel that's used in the lower cost pm50u that they sell at costco.com. that panasonic model has the same missing features as the maxent like no tv tuner and no cablecard.
Are there any dashes in that panel #? I was trying to google it, but don't come up with anything just plugging in MC127H27D8 or MC127H27F8.

Perhaps someone (smarter than yours truly) can construct a few clear questions that could be answered by members of this forum that own the 7th generation Panasonic 50 inch units and post the questions in the appropriate Panasonic threads. I'm sure a friendly Panny owner would be happy to be peek inside his vents holes and give us a few part #'s. By the way, I would caution anybody from peeking inside my vent hole ;)

I finally got a hidef source hooked up - first note - my previous color settings had to be adjusted substantially compared to my DVD source. Second note - wow. Looks incredible.

I'm very happy with the purchase. I had no idea what I had been missing. :) I found myself watching the worst TV shows just becuase it was great watching them in 50" hidef. hahahah.

Perhaps someone (smarter than yours truly) can construct a few clear questions that could be answered by members of this forum that own the 7th generation Panasonic 50 inch units and post the questions in the appropriate Panasonic threads. I'm sure a friendly Panny owner would be happy to be peek inside his vents holes and give us a few part #'s. By the way, I would caution anybody from peeking inside my vent hole ;)
Better yet, we should construct a generic e-mail with all the questions that we want answered, and then collectively spam Panasonic and Maxent until they provide us with what we need.

I mean, if we keep sending these e-mails long enough we're bound to reach a rep that will know something. Or we will just overload their mail servers forcing them to tell us what we need to know.

So here's what we do. I will pose a question, and then everyone else behing me, copy and past my question and add theirs. (You can also rephrase any question if you think you can make it sound better.)

Once we're through with this exercise, we will then schedule a time/day where we will all send that e-mail to both Panasonic and Maxent.

Ok here we go:

1. Can you tell me what the difference is between panel model MC127H27B8 and MC127H27F8? (Note, that one is B8, and the other F8).

So I am not sure if I am going to keep this set.

I have been doing a lot of comparisions with my Panasonic TH42PD25 and I find the panny picture superior on SD and HD content.

Even at 1 foot away the panny is sharper on HD.

I think I am going to get a Panny 42" HD which I can get fot the same money as the this MAxent 50".

I will give it another week of watching my favorite shows to be sure.

Sent an EMAIL to Panasonic customer relations. I asked if Maxent used panasonic parts. Here was there response verbatim.

"The bottom line is: Panasonic plasmas offer the best combination of superb image quality, innovative technology, exceptional reliability, and great value.

No other plasma even compares. Thanks for your e-mail.

Oliver Carmona

Panasonic ideas for life"



It looks like he ducked my question, so I did not let him off the hook. I replied to his email and told him .........."thanks, but you did not answer my question."

Ha! Boy, does THAT sound familiar. This is the very same guy that jumped into this thread - http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=603216... supposedly to "help" all the folks screwed over when Panasonic welshed on their on their Panasonic Employee Purchase Program orders (see top of page 3 in the thread). Took our names and had somebody call us to say "Gee, too bad... hey, how 'bout you order something else?". When (surprise) we wern't appreciative of his great mediation efforts, he had the nerve to send me a follow-up e-mail, starting with, yes, you guessed it...

"The bottom line is: Panasonic plasmas offer the best combination of superb image quality, innovative technology, exceptional reliability, and great value. "

Then he went on burying the knife with "I want a Corvette Z06... but if I'm not willing to pay full price, the chances of my getting one right now are very slim." Check it out, he's very "helpful". :p

Does anyone know if the Maxent supports 16:9 resolutions with PC? The specs only mentioned 4:3? I've heard the 42" Maxent has overscanning problems when trying to set custom resolutions.

Now where did you read about overscan problems? I have been avidly following the Maxent 42X3 threads especially pertaining to use of the PC input with my HTPC and have been a contributor to many of the related threads. I don't recall seeing any overscanning complaints.

In my experience using a resolution of 1024x768 from the HTPC to the PC input on the Maxent 42x3 is capable of producing a near perfect 1:1 pixel mapped image with proper phase adjustments. However due to the difference btw 16:9 and 4:3 the overall image is stretched. Therefore when picture geometry is vital (such as watching WMVHD DVDs) I choose to go with 1368x768 with excellent results and no overscanning problems. The resolution of 1280x768 however does not fare as well due to what appear to be significant scaling artifacts but again not overscanning.

i can confrim the maxent allows 1366X768 resolution via rgb. I tried doing it on hdmi and that was another story.

I think the colors are not limited by the pannel, rather by the processing (24 bits = 16.7 million combinations). As far as the pannel life, it may be due to the fact that they run hotter (due to case design / venting) then Panasonic, which may effect its life.

Are there any dashes in that panel #? I was trying to google it, but don't come up with anything just plugging in MC127H27D8 or MC127H27F8.

nope, no dashes or spaces.

in other news, vanns.com has the panny 50u for 3499 including shipping. none in stock of course, but you can preorder. great price i think.

i too have decided to hold off on the maxent until i get more solid info. unfortunately, i too fall into the camp that puts value (just a little bit!) into brand names.

Every once in a while my Maxent screen goes blank... any touch of a button on the remote and it comes instantly back, as if it is a powersave or screensave feature. The only thing is, it doesnt seem to be consistent in terms of time.. sometimes it happens just a few minutes after i turn it on, other times it happens say an hour later.

The powersave option in the menu is not accessible for some reason.

Anyone else experiencing this or know what it is?

Every once in a while my Maxent screen goes blank... any touch of a button on the remote and it comes instantly back, as if it is a powersave or screensave feature. The only thing is, it doesnt seem to be consistent in terms of time.. sometimes it happens just a few minutes after i turn it on, other times it happens say an hour later.

The powersave option in the menu is not accessible for some reason.

Anyone else experiencing this or know what it is?



I would return it for another. Things like this never get "better"

JimKim said "vanns.xxx has the panny 50u for xxxx including shipping. " That is not good. It is the 42" only. :(

I would return it for another. Things like this never get "better"

So this has nothing to do with 'Imageshift' settings or possibly powersave? It *really* seems like a powersave function like on a television monitor because of how quickly the image comes back when you press a button on the remote.

I actually kind of like the fact that it does it because if I leave the TV on for two hours accidentally chances are it will blank itself and not burn in, BUT I would just be worried that its a sign of a bigger problem perhaps... Ill keep an eye on it for a week or two and see how it goes since I have until near the end of January to exchange/return. May as well get some use out of it before getting another :)

So this has nothing to do with 'Imageshift' settings or possibly powersave? It *really* seems like a powersave function like on a television monitor because of how quickly the image comes back when you press a button on the remote.

I actually kind of like the fact that it does it because if I leave the TV on for two hours accidentally chances are it will blank itself and not burn in, BUT I would just be worried that its a sign of a bigger problem perhaps... Ill keep an eye on it for a week or two and see how it goes since I have until near the end of January to exchange/return. May as well get some use out of it before getting another :)

Im with you. I wish my TV did that! Sounds like a SW glich rather then hardware. IF you bougt it at Costco you can keep it until in no longer is a good thing.

JimKim said "vanns.xxx has the panny 50u for xxxx including shipping. " That is not good. It is the 42" only. :(

sent you a pm.

Background: I've spent hours in two different Best Buys, tweaking the floor units, comparing them to Philips, Zeneith, Panasonic, etc. I wasn't entirely happy with some of the comparisons (lack of bright white, green push), but with the extended Holiday return, decided for the price to take the plunge so I could spend more time with it at home. In the week wait to pick it up, I fully convinced myself that I would immediately return the unit, and that getting it home would make no difference in my opinion of the unit.

I picked up my unit last night and had time enough to unpack it and sit it on top of the entertainment center (to be wall mounted later). Today, I actually hooked it up and have been playing around with different things....

My Setup: Right now SD and HD source from a Pace 550 Cable Box. I connected AR component cables from the Pace to Component 1 on the Maxent. I connected an s-video cable from the Pace to AV1 on the Maxent. I connected a single RCA 2-channel Audio cable from the Pace, split it with Y-connectors at the Maxent, and connected to both the L/R audio associated with Component 1 and AV 1.

After setting it up, I quickly did a 'by eye only' calibration of HD on the component input, and SD on the s-video....I ended up with:

Settings:

Component:

Contrast = 70
Brightness = 65
Color = 40
Tint = -2
Sharp = 1
DNR = High
Temp = Cool

S-Video:

Contrast = 50
Brightness = 50
Color = 30
Tint = -2
Sharp = 1
DNR = High
Temp = Cool

I don't have a copy of VE or AVIA yet, so these are subjective settings only. HD on component looks phenomenal. I've had a 108" Front Projection LCD for three years, and am intimately familiar with what HD should look like, having gone through Colorfast calibrations with the projector, and I must say, this Maxent surprised me.

HD: What can I say. It looks like HD is supposed to look. The colors are vibrant, absolutely no pixelation or artifacting, dark level detail is 100% better than my LCD setup, whites are bright white unlike the creaminess I saw at Best Buy.

SD: SD as expected is a little worse, but still I'm pleasantly surprised. S-video is marginally better than component, so while it is a pain to switch between the two, it's worth it because, I can setup different user settings on the different inputs. When watching SD on component with the higher contrast settings, whites tend to bloom a bit. By switching to s-video and tweaking contrast and brightness down a bit, I'm able to control the blooming. The DNR setting reduces alot of fuzz and makes a nice picture albeit a little soft. When comparing it to my 27" CRT which is sitting directly below it, there is some loss of detail. A good area to compare is someone's hair. On the CRT, you can see every strand of hair, whereas on the Maxent, blown up to 50", individual strands tend to blur together. There may be some further tweaking to correct this, but these are initial impressions.

NICE FEATURE TO FOLLOW:

I haven't seen anyone comment much on the serial connection. So, I grabbed my laptop and trusty RS232 cable and plugged in. Setup Hyperterminal per the manual, and was immediately talking to the unit. Be sure to set local echo to ON as the Maxent does not echo typed characters. Anyway, I tried out all the commands and this is what I found:

The Reading of Contrast, Brightness, Color, Tint and Sharpness do not work. Contrast, Brightness and Color read 000, no matter where you set them. Tint may work, but it is scaled 1 to 100 instead of -50 to 50. Sharpness is supposedly scaled 1 to 100, but my sharpness setting of 1 read as 60.

Now the better news. All the other commands seem to work. Pretty cool to mute or change the volume from the laptop. Will make for a nice HT control with something like CQC. Also of interest is that the unit displays an IR code when you use the remote while connected serially. It is in Hex, but I don't know if it would translate directly into a CCF like with a pronto.

The best news... The individual R-G-B Gain and Bias settings work great and appear to work independent of the color, tint, etc....I recorded my settings which I assumed are factory set, jacked around the color, contrast, brightness, tint settings, and re-read the settings and they had not changed. But, boy do they make a difference to the picture when I changed them. I randomly set R-Gain to 800 (1 to 999 scale), and had an all red picture :) So, for someone who has Avia or VE, a laptop and a serial cable, you should be able to really tune in the colors and greyscale. For those interested, my factory settings are:

R-Gain = 282
B-Gain = 307
G-Gain = 333

R-Bias = 453
B-Bias = 418
G-Bias = 448

It would be interesting to see what everyone else's is....

About the biggest drawback so far is my Cable remote is unable to find the code for the Maxent. I scanned all known TV codes, including the ones recommended in the Maxent manual, with no luck. I can always use a learning remote, but that's just one more thing to buy.

Oh, and it does get hot...Can't hold your hand on it for long at the very top, but 6 inches down it's cool as a cucumber. I wonder how this might affect the paint on the walls when wall mounting...Granted it sits a couple/three inches off the wall, so shouldn't be a problem, but still something to keep an eye out for.

Robert

Robert, thanks for the detailed, informative post!

About the biggest drawback so far is my Cable remote is unable to find the code for the Maxent. I scanned all known TV codes, including the ones recommended in the Maxent manual, with no luck. I can always use a learning remote, but that's just one more thing to buy.

I was able to get my SA8300HD STB remote to control the Maxent. When I get home tonight, I'll look up the remote code and post it for you.

FWIW, my most recent (but ever changing) "eyeball" picture settings for HD and SD are not much different than yours. Unlike most others, I like my Temp setting on "High" and then lower the Color to about 35 and Tint to about -9. I too am very anxious for someone to establish R-G-B settings using a calibration disk and the RS232 connection.

I am wondering if you can hook up a computer to this system so when I turn on my TV it also powers up the computer. I have an old desktop that I want to put music on and use to surf the web at my TV. Anyone know if I can turn on the TV with one button and it will also turn on my computer?

Robert, thanks for the detailed, informative post!



I was able to get my SA8300HD STB remote to control the Maxent. When I get home tonight, I'll look up the remote code and post it for you.

That would be helpful as I'm considering switching to the SA8300HD for DVR. Unfortunately, I believe the AT8400D remote that came with the PACE box uses different codes than the SA remote.

I am wondering if you can hook up a computer to this system so when I turn on my TV it also powers up the computer. I have an old desktop that I want to put music on and use to surf the web at my TV. Anyone know if I can turn on the TV with one button and it will also turn on my computer?

Better to just leave the PC on all the time...That's what I do with my HTPC for the theater...Then I use IRMAN and Girder for controlling the PC with a Harmony remote.

FWIW, my most recent (but ever changing) "eyeball" picture settings for HD and SD are not much different than yours. Unlike most others, I like my Temp setting on "High" and then lower the Color to about 35 and Tint to about -9. I too am very anxious for someone to establish R-G-B settings using a calibration disk and the RS232 connection.

It would make sense to run Warm (High) as that is supposedly 6500D, but it just made the whites too yellow for my tastes....I'll try setting it to Warm and lowering the Tint as you suggest.

Better to just leave the PC on all the time...That's what I do with my HTPC for the theater...Then I use IRMAN and Girder for controlling the PC with a Harmony remote.

Where can I get more information on IRMAN and Girder. Don't know what they are at all. I am buying the Harmony 688 today

Where can I get more information on IRMAN and Girder. Don't know what they are at all. I am buying the Harmony 688 today

Google is your friend....

But basically, IRMAN is a simple blackbox that takes your IR signals and converts them to serial (RS232) for reading into your PC.

http://www.evation.com/irman/

Girder is a program (used to be free, but now owned by Proximis) that will record any event (mouse click, keyboard stroke, RS232 strings, etc.) and control your windows programs. The nice thing about Girder, is that there are lots of library files already developed for common windows programs...For example, I use TheaterTek for DVD playback, and there was a TheaterTek Girder pluggin...Same thing for Winamp for listening to music.

http://www.promixis.com/

Google is your friend....

But basically, IRMAN is a simple blackbox that takes your IR signals and converts them to serial (RS232) for reading into your PC.

http://www.evation.com/irman/

Girder is a program (used to be free, but now owned by Proximis) that will record any event (mouse click, keyboard stroke, RS232 strings, etc.) and control your windows programs. The nice thing about Girder, is that there are lots of library files already developed for common windows programs...For example, I use TheaterTek for DVD playback, and there was a TheaterTek Girder pluggin...Same thing for Winamp for listening to music.

http://www.promixis.com/

Google Stock is my friend! ;)

I purchased the Harmony 688 from Amazon, along with an HDMI cable today. I also went to BB and got an LG upconverting DVD. I am going to hook up the upconverting DVD via S video tonight, until I get the HDMI cable.

Hi, I have a couple of questions. What output settings would you suggest for DVD and Cable Box.
I have my DVD player set at 720p thru HDMI, my cable box at 720p for HDTV(thru component) and use 480p for SDTV with S-video.

My Comcast cable box has different settings for 4:3 override(OFF, 480i, 480p…), I have no idea what it is and have it set at 480p.

What do you have for this settings?

Hi, I have a couple of questions. What output settings would you suggest for DVD and Cable Box.
I have my DVD player set at 720p thru HDMI, my cable box at 720p for HDTV(thru component) and use 480p for SDTV with S-video.

My Comcast cable box has different settings for 4:3 override(OFF, 480i, 480p…), I have no idea what it is and have it set at 480p.

What do you have for this settings?

I have my cablebox set to passthru, such that the TV does any scaling. I don't like using the scaler in the cable box.

You can't have 480p for S-video...S-video only does 480i

If your DVD does a good job of upconverting, then I would think that 720p is fine for it.

Hi, I went to bestbuy last night to see the 50x3, It had a very nice picture. It was very hot as others have said. The panny was much cooler. They did have the 42x2 on display and the picture looked very bad, tint was way off. The 42x2 was on its way out, right side of picture about 1 1/2 inches was gray (no picture) with one very bright green vertical line running from top to bottom about 3/16" wide. Makes me wonder about the long term reliability of the maxent 50x3, especial with the extreme heat at the top vent slots. I have not decided to buy as yet, will have to make the decision tomorrow. If I was sure bestbuy would not charge a restocking fee of 10% or 15% I may give it a try. Will 50x3 do picture in picture with two sources?

Hi, I went to bestbuy last night to see the 50x3, It had a very nice picture. It was very hot as others have said. The panny was much cooler. They did have the 42x2 on display and the picture looked very bad, tint was way off. The 42x2 was on its way out, right side of picture about 1 1/2 inches was gray (no picture) with one very bright green vertical line running from top to bottom about 3/16" wide. Makes me wonder about the long term reliability of the maxent 50x3, especial with the extreme heat at the top vent slots. I have not decided to buy as yet, will have to make the decision tomorrow. If I was sure bestbuy would not charge a restocking fee of 10% or 15% I may give it a try. Will 50x3 do picture in picture with two sources?

First of all, you can't compare the Best Buy 42x2 or the Maxent 50x2 to the Costco 42x3 or the Best Buy 50x3. The 50x3 is along the same lines as the 42x3 which has had a tremendous following for over a year. No real reliability issues that I've seen perusing the 42x3 Maxent thread.

I'm concerned about the heat too, but I would expect that most of the controller board and input board components are at the bottom of the unit where heat is not a problem. I don't know how heat affects the glass itself, but I'm not too concerned about any electronic issues.

As for the restocking fee, there is no indication that there is any. TV's or Monitors, bigscreen or otherwise, are not listed as subject to restocking fees. Only things like PC's, cameras, camcorders, etc. If you are still uncertain, simply get a written statement from customer service saying that there is no restocking fee if you decide to return the TV. I will say that CSRs are wary of those who buy with the forethought of returning...They get burned around this time every year, with people buying bigscreen TVs for the superbowl, only to return them in February, or camcorders for the holidays to return them after the new year.

As for PIP, the unit will only do PIP with the HDMI input, not from different sources.

Good Luck in your decision...I'm still evaluating mine, but so far, I really like what I see.

Robert

Well, the comcast guy came yesterday and brought an HDMI box to swap out the DVI box that I have been using. Good thing they provided HDMI cable as well. I asked him to check out the signal and he said it's ******. He changed the splitter outside the house, but the signal reading at the end of the cable running to the TV still was not good (reading number was 2 as I remember). Plus the HDMI DVR box he brought was bad, so he said he will return this morning with another box and check the line for me. He did bring a functioning box this morning. When I asked him to check out the cable line again. He said he said he doesn't have time. When I pressed, he said the supervisor told him reading 2 is good for digital. I think he was BSing with me. But at that point I just don't trust him any more. So I let him go. My HD PQ is ok, but I would call it less than stunning. I did see pixelation when the camera was panning the football field and I did see color shade bounary (bands) in sky or ocean shots (not always.) What's your experience with cable signal reading? Any suggestions on how I should deal with Comcast? Thanks.

p.s. Before this Maxent, I was watching with a 32in panasonic tube (4:3 with 480p display). It's much smaller, but at least the digital 4:3 channels look much better (more HD like) on my panaonic. I know size difference blows up the imperfections, but when viewing at 4:3 mode, it's really not that much bigger than the 32in.

...I know size difference blows up the imperfections, but when viewing at 4:3 mode, it's really not that much bigger than the 32in.
By my calcs, a 50" 16:9 display would be equal to around a 40" 4:3 display. You should be seeing a larger picture than your present 32".

By my calcs, a 50" 16:9 display would be equal to around a 40" 4:3 display. You should be seeing a larger picture than your present 32".

The plasma is probably sitting 1-2 feet further away as well, making it seem smaller.

Robertmee thanks for the imformation, I liked your point "most of the controller board and input board components are at the bottom of the unit where heat is not a problem." I'm not sure I understand this, "As for PIP, the unit will only do PIP with the HDMI input, not from different sources" Could you give me an example how the hookup might be. Not sure how you can get pip from just HDMI. I'm new to all this, sorry for the problem of understanding. So I guess it would not be possible to get pip with HD and Computer picture together.

I am wondering what components generate so much heat. The panel? The power supply? Does anyone know. Thanks

I am wondering what components generate so much heat. The panel? The power supply? Does anyone know. Thanks
The heat is directly behind the three boards TNPA3561, TNPA3562, and TNPA3563.

Finally got my Plasma Monitor wall mounted and set-up last night (picked it up[ Wednesday night.)

Gear and connections:
-Cable Box, Motorola 6412 II, HD DVR Box (Insight)connected via 6’Acoustic Research Master Component Cables into Yamaha 5560 Receiver.
-JVC Progressive Scan 7 Disc DVD (three years old) player connected via 6’Acoustic Research Pro II Component Cables into Yamaha 5560 Receiver.
-Monitor out on Yamaha 5560 (three years old) receiver going to Maxent 50’ monitor via 15’ Sound Quest /Audio Quest (or whatever the brand is in the Magnolia HT area) YG-X Component Cables.
-Just sold Xbox and PS2 to make room for Xbox 360, so I cannot comment on those.

Maxent monitor was set to the usual: brightness 50, contrast 50, color 22, sharpness 0, tint 0, DNR high, color temp: cool.

First, the good:

HD looks great when cable box is set at 720p. Vibrant colors, no banding, no artifacts, etc. It simply looks great. It looks as good as my older Sony XBR 32” flat screen CRT that them Maxent is replacing except that the screen size is MUCH bigger.

Next, the not so good:

DVDs output at 480p just do not look that good. They were all very dark with pixelation problems, problems with the detailing with dark objects, etc. Star Wars Episode III looked very, very dark, all of the space scenes are almost unwatchable as everything that is dark blends in with space and disappears (opening scenes). Scenes with better lighting do not look to bad but there is still pixelation and lack of detail on some objects.

Finally, the bad:

SD channels just look like junk. The 480i signal just is not coming over correctly or the scaler in the Maxent is not doing a good job. There is noticeable color pushes and distortion. The stretching doesn’t look too bad, just the coloring is way off.

What can I do to improve my DVD and SD viewing? Again, I am comparing these three formats to my Sony 32” HD Monitor with the exact same equipment set-up except for the 15’ component cable (since the Maxent is wall mounted) versus the 6’ I was using with the Sony.

Will changing the 15’ component cable make any difference? If so, please tell me brand and where to purchase.

Will an upconverting DVD player help like the Samsung 850 since it can output at 720p over component after some modification?

Would a new HTR like the Yamaha 2600 solve my problems since it converts and upscales 480i signals?

Will an AVIA DVD help? If so, please tell me where to purchase as no one locally carries.

I really like the Maxent for the price but only if I can improve the picture of the DVD and SD signals.

Thanks all for your help!

For SD, try using an s-video cable instead of component....Looks better on my setup.

The heat is directly behind the three boards TNPA3561A, TNPA3562A, and TNPA3563A.

Any idea what these are? I'm guessing power transistor boards with big heat sinks on them.

Robert

Finally got my Plasma Monitor wall mounted and set-up last night (picked it up[ Wednesday night.)

Gear and connections:
-Cable Box, Motorola 6412 II, HD DVR Box (Insight)connected via 6’Acoustic Research Master Component Cables into Yamaha 5560 Receiver.
-JVC Progressive Scan 7 Disc DVD (three years old) player connected via 6’Acoustic Research Pro II Component Cables into Yamaha 5560 Receiver.
-Monitor out on Yamaha 5560 (three years old) receiver going to Maxent 50’ monitor via 15’ Sound Quest /Audio Quest (or whatever the brand is in the Magnolia HT area) YG-X Component Cables.
-Just sold Xbox and PS2 to make room for Xbox 360, so I cannot comment on those.

Maxent monitor was set to the usual: brightness 50, contrast 50, color 22, sharpness 0, tint 0, DNR high, color temp: cool.

First, the good:

HD looks great when cable box is set at 720p. Vibrant colors, no banding, no artifacts, etc. It simply looks great. It looks as good as my older Sony XBR 32” flat screen CRT that them Maxent is replacing except that the screen size is MUCH bigger.

Next, the not so good:

DVDs output at 480p just do not look that good. They were all very dark with pixelation problems, problems with the detailing with dark objects, etc. Star Wars Episode III looked very, very dark, all of the space scenes are almost unwatchable as everything that is dark blends in with space and disappears (opening scenes). Scenes with better lighting do not look to bad but there is still pixelation and lack of detail on some objects.

Finally, the bad:

SD channels just look like junk. The 480i signal just is not coming over correctly or the scaler in the Maxent is not doing a good job. There is noticeable color pushes and distortion. The stretching doesn’t look too bad, just the coloring is way off.

What can I do to improve my DVD and SD viewing? Again, I am comparing these three formats to my Sony 32” HD Monitor with the exact same equipment set-up except for the 15’ component cable (since the Maxent is wall mounted) versus the 6’ I was using with the Sony.

Will changing the 15’ component cable make any difference? If so, please tell me brand and where to purchase.

Will an upconverting DVD player help like the Samsung 850 since it can output at 720p over component after some modification?

Would a new HTR like the Yamaha 2600 solve my problems since it converts and upscales 480i signals?

Will an AVIA DVD help? If so, please tell me where to purchase as no one locally carries.

I really like the Maxent for the price but only if I can improve the picture of the DVD and SD signals.

Thanks all for your help!

Let me confirm a few things, just to be sure I understand you. You have both your cable box and your DVD player hooked up to the receiver via component cables? And then you have component out from your receiver into your TV?

That's how I have mine setup, except for me my DVDs are outstanding. I just watched Revenge of the Sith this weekend, and the PQ was hardly distinguishable from HDTV. I was blown away at how good my DVDs looked.

I'm not sure I understand this, "As for PIP, the unit will only do PIP with the HDMI input, not from different sources" Could you give me an example how the hookup might be. Not sure how you can get pip from just HDMI. I'm new to all this, sorry for the problem of understanding. So I guess it would not be possible to get pip with HD and Computer picture together.

Sorry, I wasn't clear...Like many it won't do PIP with two analog sources (component, s-video, composite, RGB). One must be digital (HDMI) and then likely any other source.

So, to get PIP with HD and PC, you'd have to have HD or PC via HDMI, and the other via component or RGB.

Least that's the way I'm understanding it.

Any idea what these are? I'm guessing power transistor boards with big heat sinks on them.

Robert
The heat sinks are vertically mounted about the midway point (height-wise) on the display. There are several across the back. The above boards are just the recipients of the below heatsink dissipation.

Next, the not so good:

DVDs output at 480p just do not look that good. They were all very dark with pixelation problems, problems with the detailing with dark objects, etc. Star Wars Episode III looked very, very dark, all of the space scenes are almost unwatchable as everything that is dark blends in with space and disappears (opening scenes). Scenes with better lighting do not look to bad but there is still pixelation and lack of detail on some objects.



Well, one thing I don't like about your setup....You are assuming that your DVD player and Cable box are outputting component level signals with the same color balance, gain, etc....It may be convenient to switch between the two through the receiver, but then you are limiting your user setup in the Maxent to being something in between the two. I would recommend running straight component to the Maxent and see if you can tweak in the picture settings for DVD only.

I did this with just my Cable box, running BOTH component and s-video to the Maxent. For HD content, I use component, for SD I use the S-video, because the settings are entirely different in the Maxent for each. When watching SD on the component input that was tuned for HD channels, whites were in full bloom. By going to s-video, I was able to turn the contrast down and create a much better picture.

Robert

The heat sinks are vertically mounted about the midway point (height-wise) on the display. There are several across the back. The above boards are just the recipients of the below heatsink dissipation.

That doesn't sound like a good design. Again, any idea what these boards are for?

Let me confirm a few things, just to be sure I understand you. You have both your cable box and your DVD player hooked up to the receiver via component cables? And then you have component out from your receiver into your TV?

That's how I have mine setup, except for me my DVDs are outstanding. I just watched Revenge of the Sith this weekend, and the PQ was hardly distinguishable from HDTV. I was blown away at how good my DVDs looked.

You are correct, both my cable box and my DVD player are hooked up to the receiver via component cables and then the monitor out from the reciever goes to the Maxent.

For SD, try using an s-video cable instead of component....Looks better on my setup..

I really do not want to run multiple cables to the Maxent since it is wall mounted (It was hard enough running the one set.) I just want the one set of component cable on the monitor out from the reciver or the one set of HDMI out from the receiver if I upgraded to a newer receiver like the Yamaha 5990, 1600, or 2600.

Any ideas on how I can get better PQ with SD or DVD and keep just one set of cables going to the Maxent?

Thanks! :D

For SD, try using an s-video cable instead of component....Looks better on my setup.

On mine, SD looks worse with Svideo than HDMI, and seem to have stronger color push and higher contrast (with the same setting for Svideo and HDMI, 45/45/30/1).

On mine, SD looks worse with Svideo than HDMI, and seem to have stronger color push and higher contrast (with the same setting for Svideo and HDMI, 45/45/30/1).
From what I've read in this thread, the settings for S-Video are different then the ones for component. If you use the same settings, the picture on S-Video will most likely look worse.

Well, one thing I don't like about your setup....You are assuming that your DVD player and Cable box are outputting component level signals with the same color balance, gain, etc....It may be convenient to switch between the two through the receiver, but then you are limiting your user setup in the Maxent to being something in between the two. I would recommend running straight component to the Maxent and see if you can tweak in the picture settings for DVD only.

I did this with just my Cable box, running BOTH component and s-video to the Maxent. For HD content, I use component, for SD I use the S-video, because the settings are entirely different in the Maxent for each. When watching SD on the component input that was tuned for HD channels, whites were in full bloom. By going to s-video, I was able to turn the contrast down and create a much better picture.

Robert

I agree with your comments but again I really need to just run one set of cables to the wall mounted Maxent. Not to mention, that my 32" Sony dealt with the exact same set-up beautifully (again, the ONLY things I changed in my Home Theatre set-up was I switched out the 32" Sony for the 50" Maxent and I switched the 6' component cable that went to the Sony to a 15' component cable that goes to the Maxent) Maybe the scaler in the older Sony is just better or the native resolution in the Sony 1080i is better suited??

Comments/thoughts?

From what I've read in this thread, the settings for S-Video are different then the ones for component. If you use the same settings, the picture on S-Video will most likely look worse.

Exactly...My HD and SD settings are not even close.

That doesn't sound like a good design. Again, any idea what these boards are for?
They are just listed as "PC boards" with a cost stated below. Going out on a limb, I'd say possibly something to do with RGB color (one for each?).

Here is a breakdown of the costs:

TNPA3561 - C1 Panel PC Board - $66
TNPA3562 - C2 Panel PC Board - $113
TNPA3563 - C3 Panel PC board - $45


Boards used in the following models:

HPIGP
TH50PHD8UKJ
TH50PX500U
TH50PX50U
THEBP50F
THPL5000NUJ
THPL5000UJ

I agree with your comments but again I really need to just run one set of cables to the wall mounted Maxent. Not to mention, that my 32" Sony dealt with the exact same set-up beautifully (again, the ONLY things I changed in my Home Theatre set-up was I switched out the 32" Sony for the 50" Maxent and I switched the 6' component cable that went to the Sony to a 15' component cable that goes to the Maxent) Maybe the scaler in the older Sony is just better or the native resolution in the Sony 1080i is better suited??

Comments/thoughts?

I don't know if we can help you much further if you're set on one set of cables...From my understanding, HDMI and Component don't differ too much with regards to HD or DVD on this particular TV, so I don't know if an upconverted DVD player is the answer....And that certainly won't help the SD issue.

As a test, just hook up your DVD player via a straight 6' component cable, and see if the picture improves, using whatever settings are necessary, not constrained to those that you ended up with for HD.

They are just listed as "PC boards" with a cost around $40 each. Going out on a limb, I'd say possibly something to do with RGB color (one for each?).

I tried searching for those #'s....Where are you getting the info? :)

Robert

I don't know if we can help you much further if you're set on one set of cables...From my understanding, HDMI and Component don't differ too much with regards to HD or DVD on this particular TV, so I don't know if an upconverted DVD player is the answer....And that certainly won't help the SD issue.

As a test, just hook up your DVD player via a straight 6' component cable, and see if the picture improves, using whatever settings are necessary, not constrained to those that you ended up with for HD.

I will hook up my DVD player directly tonight to see if that helps anything. Results to follow...

So, is everyone running one set (or two) of cables for each input? I thought some people had used HT reciever switching successfully... Is my unit just bad?

That means I would have to use 4 inputs:

Cable box (HDMI or component for HD, S-video for SD) (2)
DVD Player (HDMI or component if upconvert or component for progressive scan) (1)
Game system (component) (1)

I thought that maybe it is simply a signal problem or scaler problem in the Maxent, only signals that come across at 720p look good without extensive tweaking.

HD Cable 720P
Upconvert DVD player 720P
Xbox 360 720P
Standard Cable 480i

This would allow me two have only two sets of inputs running to the Maxent. HDMI or component for HD Cable/Upconvert DVD player/Xbox 360(1)
S-video for SD Cable (1)

Hmmm...

I thought that maybe it is simply a signal problem or scaler problem in the Maxent, only signals that come across at 720p look good without extensive tweaking.



I have my cable box set for pass through, so the Maxent is getting 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i depending on the channel. I have noticed no difference between 720p and 1080i on component. And 480i on either component or s-video is very acceptable. The only reason I don't use 480i on component, preferring s-video, is that I find the settings need to be different to get the optimum picture.

I have my cable box set for pass through, so the Maxent is getting 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i depending on the channel. I have noticed no difference between 720p and 1080i on component. And 480i on either component or s-video is very acceptable. The only reason I don't use 480i on component, preferring s-video, is that I find the settings need to be different to get the optimum picture.

According to the Motorola Manual, I cannot set my cable box like that unfortunately. I have to choose either 720p or 1080i for HD and I have to choose for 4:3 programming also(SD). I will play with the 4:3 setting to see if that helps. It is currently set to 480i but I can change to OFF, 480i, 480p, and stretch. The 480p setting sounds interesting.

I may also try to pick-up a Samsung 850 upconverting DVD player to compare side-by-side to my old DVD player to see if either look good. Both, directly hooked into the Maxent as you suggested earlier.

I have never spent so much time adjusting a TV... :p

Just an update for those of you still on the fence. It now up on "BestBuy.com".

I have never spent so much time adjusting a TV... :p

The sickness only gets worse ;)

Thought I would save someone the trouble of finding out the hard way. I ordered the plasma mount from the manufacture listed as MXA-WM103 . When received it listed a description of pe-50wb06. Thought I would let you know that it will not fit this monitor. Not sure if they sent the wrong mount or if they changed the screw pattern on the monitor. Guess I will save myself some money and by a universal mount.

Every once in a while my Maxent screen goes blank... any touch of a button on the remote and it comes instantly back, as if it is a powersave or screensave feature. The only thing is, it doesnt seem to be consistent in terms of time.. sometimes it happens just a few minutes after i turn it on, other times it happens say an hour later.

The powersave option in the menu is not accessible for some reason.

Anyone else experiencing this or know what it is?

I have a 42x3 and I am experiencing this also. My "fix" is to hit the display button, seems to stay "on" from that point. I've seen it go to sleep in as little as five minutes, only on the component input. I was using 720P from my comcast box when it happened. I've since changed the comcast box (motorola 6412) to output 1080i and have not seen it happen yet.

A few questions for you. What's your firmware revision? Mine's 050608 and the set was dated June 2005. I am using a Lexicon MC8 to switch my component (and S-video) signals. Were you using a direct input on your component signal or switching with a receiver?

Finally, do give Maxent a call at 888 373.4368 and let them know. I am awaiting a firmware revision kit, hoping that will solve this problem.

I have to say, I'm really impressed with the Standard definition capabilities of this monitor. I was really expecting poor performance similar to my LCD front projection, but it is not the case. I'm watching National Geographic, 480i via S-video in stretch mode, and I would almost swear it is HD. This through a PACE 550 HD TWC box. I wish I could take a picture of it to show it off.

I have to say, I'm really impressed with the Standard definition capabilities of this monitor. I was really expecting poor performance similar to my LCD front projection, but it is not the case. I'm watching National Geographic, 480i via S-video in stretch mode, and I would almost swear it is HD. This through a PACE 550 HD TWC box. I wish I could take a picture of it to show it off.

Robert, I watch SD content using the S-Video connection and also have the STB set to "pass through". However, I am still not quite satisfied with the picture quality. What are your picture settings for this setup? Also, did you say that you saw no difference in SD picture quality when using S-Video vs. Component? Even after making adjustments to each connection's picture settings, I still think SD looks better when using S-video. Maybe I'll give SD another try using the Component connection.

As a test, just hook up your DVD player via a straight 6' component cable, and see if the picture improves, using whatever settings are necessary, not constrained to those that you ended up with for HD.

Robert,

BB did not have any Samsung 850 DVD players in stock, so I went home discouraged. So, I went ahead and hooked up my old JVC DVD player directly to the Maxent via the 6' Acoustic Research Pro II component cable... Guess what?! It looked fantastic!! It was not dark picturefrom last night... it looked bright and vibrant at the EXACT same settings as before. So, then I wondered, is it my Yamaha reciever or the 15' Adioquest YIQ-X component cable from BB. So, I hooked up the DVD player directly to the Maxent via the 15' AQ cable. It looked like crap again!!! Very dark, pixelation, banding.

I cannot believe a $170 component cable is basically junk!! :eek:

Needless to say I will be returning this piece-o-junk cable to BB tomorrow.

You are the MAN Robert for pointing out my potential problem!! :D

So, It looks like I need a shorter run of a higher quality cable (maybe just the higher quality cable.) Suggestions anyone in the 12' -15' range? RAM Cables any good since they are a sponsor and are reasonably priced?

Robert, do you still think I will need seperate runs for each source given that the right cables help so much?

For anyone who says cables do not matter I will have to disagree in the future. :cool:

Before deciding that expensive cables are better, try out another low-mid range brand (acoustic research, etc) component cable 6' and tell us how that looks :)

If you still see a big difference then Im going to have to consider another set of cables as well :)

Robert, I watch SD content using the S-Video connection and also have the STB set to "pass through". However, I am still not quite satisfied with the picture quality. What are your picture settings for this setup? Also, did you say that you saw no difference in SD picture quality when using S-Video vs. Component? Even after making adjustments to each connection's picture settings, I still think SD looks better when using S-video. Maybe I'll give SD another try using the Component connection.

No, I think SD looks better with s-video as well. On some stations, there is marginal difference, but on the really crappy ones, I think s-video cleans up the noise better.

Interestingly enough, my settings for s-video ended up being about what members initially posted for their component settings. 50/50/30/-1/1/DNR High/Cool

I will say it has ALOT to do with the individual stations. Some of the digital channels like National Geographic looked stunning and near HD quality. Some of the analog lower tier stations like the all religious broadcasts look much poorer.

As a side Note, I had a chance to check out a neighbors 42" Sony LCD, and this Maxent knocks its socks off as far as picture clarity on the SD stuff. Now, I'm using Digital Cable and they are on DirectTV, but their SD channels had a lot of noise and artifacting.

Robert

Robert,

BB did not have any Samsung 850 DVD players in stock, so I went home discouraged. So, I went ahead and hooked up my old JVC DVD player directly to the Maxent via the 6' Acoustic Research Pro II component cable... Guess what?! It looked fantastic!! It was not dark picturefrom last night... it looked bright and vibrant at the EXACT same settings as before. So, then I wondered, is it my Yamaha reciever or the 15' Adioquest YIQ-X component cable from BB. So, I hooked up the DVD player directly to the Maxent via the 15' AQ cable. It looked like crap again!!! Very dark, pixelation, banding.

I cannot believe a $170 component cable is basically junk!! :eek:

Needless to say I will be returning this piece-o-junk cable to BB tomorrow.

You are the MAN Robert for pointing out my potential problem!! :D

So, It looks like I need a shorter run of a higher quality cable (maybe just the higher quality cable.) Suggestions anyone in the 12' -15' range? RAM Cables any good since they are a sponsor and are reasonably priced?

Robert, do you still think I will need seperate runs for each source given that the right cables help so much?

For anyone who says cables do not matter I will have to disagree in the future. :cool:

I'm glad it worked out for you! Curious that the cables were that bad...I'm thinking a manufacturing defect, more than just the brand of cable.

As for a trusty cable brand, I like AR's myself. Good Quality and not terribly expensive.

Before deciding that expensive cables are better, try out another low-mid range brand (acoustic research, etc) component cable 6' and tell us how that looks :)

If you still see a big difference then Im going to have to consider another set of cables as well :)

The 6' Acoustic Research (Pro II) is the brand that worked fine. It was the 15' Audioquest (YIQ-X) cable that was causing all of the noise. BTW, all of my HT cables are AR of varying levels base, pro II, master.

Since, I needed 15' (most AR runs stop at 12') runs I went ahead and ordered from RAM connections. Got a 15' component set and a 15' HDMI cable for much less than the AQ I am returning to BB. I will let you know the results after I recieve them.

Robert, I paid less. PM me for details, I have already helped Sivercans.

Now that I think I have solved my DVD problem... I will tackle my SD problem later today after the IU vs. Purdue Oaken Bucket Game.

Go Hoosiers! :p

No, I think SD looks better with s-video as well. On some stations, there is marginal difference, but on the really crappy ones, I think s-video cleans up the noise better.

Interestingly enough, my settings for s-video ended up being about what members initially posted for their component settings. 50/50/30/-1/1/DNR High/Cool

I will say it has ALOT to do with the individual stations. Some of the digital channels like National Geographic looked stunning and near HD quality. Some of the analog lower tier stations like the all religious broadcasts look much poorer.

Robert


Exactly what I found and posted days ago... and after yours tests at home, I am glad you are now a believer... it's definitely worth the money. :)

I'm glad it worked out for you! Curious that the cables were that bad...I'm thinking a manufacturing defect, more than just the brand of cable.

As for a trusty cable brand, I like AR's myself. Good Quality and not terribly expensive.
I'm wondering if there was some sort of interference with the cable being stretched across the wall. Granted, the cable should be shielded against such noise, but a test of stripping the cable off the wall and then plugging the DVD player straight into the TV set might prove otherwise.

Also, could the cable have been bent at too extreme an angle?

Unfortunatley i do have this tv on display, i am never impressed with the Maxent's quality

Unfortunatley i do have this tv on display, i am never impressed with the Maxent's quality

???? What do you mean? I saw this TV next to 5k pioneers and it looked almost the same. The Pio had better whites, but all in all, the Maxent looked great. What do you question about there quality?

Oh, I see you work at BB. I guess if I by a power conditoner and some 12' Monster Cables, it will make the Maxent look better...... LOL

Just for fun, I went down to the local Best Buy to check this display out. Well, it took all my will power to not buy the set. The picture was excellent. They were piping in an HD feed to all their sets on display. The Maxent was connected via component and was running at 720p.

Sitting next to it were a couple of Panny's, a Pioneer, a Sony Bravia, a Philips (with that weird ambient lighting) and a Toshiba. While I really liked the Pioneers quality the best, the Maxent looked outstanding compared. It easily beat the Bravia. I'm sure they weren't all calibrated equal, but anyway...

If this set had an integrated NTSC/ATSC tuner, I would have picked it up in a heart beat. 1-year, same as cash financing... ohhh... anyway, those of you that took the plunge: congratulations -- it is a very nice looking picture at a great price. Maybe in 6 months they'll throw in an ATSC tuner and lower the price. :D

I am also interested in this Tv, even though I have not witnessed it in action yet
I was wondering though why the need for a tuner, don't most cable companies provide
free tv HDTV through the cable boxes they provide?

What's the best way to connect my computer to this set and achieve the native resolution (I'm buying an nvidia that can do 1366 x 768). According to Maxent's website the D-sub port only supports a max res of 1280 x 1024. So does that mean I stuck using a DVI to HDMI cable (will the HDMI port even accept 1366x768?).

Just FYI, the "Red Shift" people have been experiencing when messing with HDMI appears to happen also when you open and close PIP as well.

A minor annoyance which is resolved by changing inputs and coming back, but it definitely is there.

Just FYI, the "Red Shift" people have been experiencing when messing with HDMI appears to happen also when you open and close PIP as well.
Yes, but with a little help from the pharmacist it is quite entertaining :) .... Also, try watching a tennis match in Panoramic mode.... :D


By the way, never say cables is just cables to an audio guy. My 2 cents on cables:

Perceived as simplistic devices they are anything but. Most focus on the wire gauge but other parameters are:

Conductor purity
Conductor quantity
Conductor material
Conductor geometry
Dielectric material
Braided shields
Foil shields
Cable bandwidth
Cable flexibility
Cable length
Cable resistance
Cable capacitance
etc.

And then there's the termination! If you really want to appreciate cables sometime, build yourself an S-video cable with quality cable and plugs. I guarantee you'll have a much greater respect for what makes a good cable and be willing to pay the extra bucks for quality (not marketing) and you'll definitely pay extra for someone to do the terminations for you!

That being said, there are some good raw cable products from Belden (http://www.belden.com/) and Markertek (http://www.markertek.com/) carries some of them in finished form - I believe they use a lot of Canare brand connectors. There are also some smaller companies like Blue Jeans Cables (http://bluejeanscable.com/), Heartland Cables (http://www.heartlandcables.com/), DIY Cable (http://www.diycable.com/main/default.php), etc.

For most of the high end cable dealers (and I'm not referring to Monster here), they custom roll their own cable geometries. Some good, some bad.

I'd really like to hear from the videophiles what the hot component and HDMI cables are and why. I suspect megabandwidth cables are the ticket for the digital stuff. By the way, DVI-I and HDMI carry the same signals (audio and video). It is my impression that the difference is just compactness. Are the standards different also?

Here is a link to a good article on DVI v. HDMI v. Component cables:
DVI v. HDMI v. Component Cables (http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/34579/122868.html)

What's the best way to connect my computer to this set and achieve the native resolution (I'm buying an nvidia that can do 1366 x 768). According to Maxent's website the D-sub port only supports a max res of 1280 x 1024. So does that mean I stuck using a DVI to HDMI cable (will the HDMI port even accept 1366x768?).
that is correct the hdmi port will not accept native resolution

Anyone have some good baseline color settings with HDMI???
Robertmee, thanks for your baseline numbers for component and s-video, I'll definitely try those out!

For those of you who own one, there is a setting on the picture or setup menu that I can't access. I don't recall the exact name, and the TV is not in front of me, but it's something like "white screen". It's grayed out and my remote skips right over it.

that is correct the hdmi port will not accept native resolution

So is there any way to get native res when using a computer?

For those of you who own one, there is a setting on the picture or setup menu that I can't access. I don't recall the exact name, and the TV is not in front of me, but it's something like "white screen". It's grayed out and my remote skips right over it.It's not available on this set.

It's not available on this set.

That's stupid. I don't know why they include features in the software that we can't access, especially considering how the manual talks about what the setting does.

So is there any way to get native res when using a computer?

yes i used the vga port it allows 1366x768 setting

Couple of questions:

I have a Comcast DVR (motorola) but I'm getting side bands on HD channels during commericals and some shows in 16:9. The NFL games are covering up the entire screen but somethings come with bands on the side. Any way of fixing this? In all HD channels the Menu/Channel Guide shows up with bands every time.

I turned off the DVR and hit the menu button which brings up a setup menu where you can change the ratio, HD output and SD output. On both 720P and 1080i with the 16:9 ratio, I see bands and they only go away if I change it to 480i/p.

Could it be a faulty DVR?

yes i used the vga port it allows 1366x768 setting


How does the VGA look? Have you tried to play any games (fps) on it? If so, do you notice a lot of tearing/ghosting? I could not find any response time listed for the monitor.

Couple of questions:

I have a Comcast DVR (motorola) but I'm getting side bands on HD channels during commericals and some shows in 16:9. The NFL games are covering up the entire screen but somethings come with bands on the side. Any way of fixing this? In all HD channels the Menu/Channel Guide shows up with bands every time.

I turned off the DVR and hit the menu button which brings up a setup menu where you can change the ratio, HD output and SD output. On both 720P and 1080i with the 16:9 ratio, I see bands and they only go away if I change it to 480i/p.

Could it be a faulty DVR?

If you have black bars on the sides of an HD program, it means that the show isn't being broadcast in HD. Even though you are watching an HD channel, that particuliar show or commercial is not in HD.

You'll find that nearly every HD channel broadcasts their commercials not in HD, so you'll see the bars. The only exception I know of is Discovery HD Theater and TNT HD. Most sporting events are in HD, but every once in awhile they are not. You'll also find that during the day, the majority of the content on the HD channels isn't being broadcast in HD, so you'll have the bars. Most primetime shows are in HD, so you won't have the bars.

Even though it's not being broadcast in HS, you'll notice that the picture is better than analog. That's because it's being upconverted to a digital source. The downside is that you have the bars, which on a plasma could cause burn-in.

Some DVRs and cable boxes will allow you to stretch 16:9 content, but most will not. My old SA 8000 HD DVR did not allow me to stretch a 16:9 picture, but my new SA 8300 HD DVR does. So in these cases, I can stretch the picture to eiliminate the black bars.

Also, all of my menus and the on screen guide have gray bars on the sides.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for answering all my questions Koach, much appreciated!

Thanks for answering all my questions Koach, much appreciated!


No problem, I went through the same thing when I got my first HDTV and HD DVR for it.

How does the VGA look? Have you tried to play any games (fps) on it? If so, do you notice a lot of tearing/ghosting? I could not find any response time listed for the monitor.

playing CS:source on it 1366x7678. no real noticable tearing or ghosting. game doesn't play as good as my desktop running a 9800 pro. this is running an AIW 8500DV and using a wireless mouse.

completely playable.


looks real nice 50" wide!



-armus

So I pulled the trigger on one of these from BB, but I did not order a mount. Any recommendations, does this plasma work with the universal mounts out there?

Any help would be appreciated...

Dave C

How does the VGA look? Have you tried to play any games (fps) on it? If so, do you notice a lot of tearing/ghosting? I could not find any response time listed for the monitor.

I was running farcry in native and it looked very vivid. No tearing or anything at all, i just need a new videocard for bet fps.

No problem, I went through the same thing when I got my first HDTV and HD DVR for it.

The thing that threw me off was that my Mits 62725 has a "wide expand" setting for HD which just I guess streches the image to remove the bands. The Maxent does not have that setting. Damn technology :(

Will the xbox 360 have a built in HD turner meaning, will I simply be able to plug the xbox 360 into the Maxent via component and play in 1080i???

Will the xbox 360 have a built in HD turner meaning, will I simply be able to plug the xbox 360 into the Maxent via component and play in 1080i???

You can plug the current XBox directly into the Maxent via component cables, so I'm not sure what you're asking. When you say "tuner", are you asking if you can run a coax cable to your xbox 360, and use it as an HD tuner AND as an xbox?

The xbox 360 will output games in whatever format they're in,w hich will be at least 720p, and in many cases 1080i. There are a handful of games for the current xbox that play in 1080i. "Enter the Matrix" is one example.

I have a quick question regarding resolution.. I dont want to change the topic of this thread but I realized I dont completely understand something regarding 1080i.

How does a television like this Maxent handle a 1080i signal since the resolution is only 768 in that dimension?

If, for each frame, the first 540 lines are displayed then the next 540, how are they distributed, ie which lines are replaced?

You can plug the current XBox directly into the Maxent via component cables, so I'm not sure what you're asking. When you say "tuner", are you asking if you can run a coax cable to your xbox 360, and use it as an HD tuner AND as an xbox?

The xbox 360 will output games in whatever format they're in,w hich will be at least 720p, and in many cases 1080i. There are a handful of games for the current xbox that play in 1080i. "Enter the Matrix" is one example.


I know you can plug it directly in but I was wondering since the Maxent doesn't have a built in turner does that mean, the Xbox will already send the signal in 720p/1080i format and the monitor will simply display as sent (no decoding required).

After reading more on this forum, I have a much better idea of a what a tuner does and how it does not apply to what I'm asking. Thanks again! Being a noob sucks :(

So I pulled the trigger on one of these from BB, but I did not order a mount. Any recommendations, does this plasma work with the universal mounts out there?

Any help would be appreciated...

Dave C

Search for EBay ID AV_Clearance. He's got the Sanus VMPL mounts cheap..

Love it so far. It is amaizing to see the difference in quality of dvd's. Toy story was fantastic. Star Wars Ep 3 was great. Batman begins SUCKED.

I am trying to get a tuner for it next, and I cant wait to hook it up to my computer for some 720p FEAR.

Love it so far. It is amaizing to see the difference in quality of dvd's. Toy story was fantastic. Star Wars Ep 3 was great. Batman begins SUCKED.
FEAR.
Somehow I managed to rent two of the worst macroblocking DVDs I've seen in one day. Most of the Batman Begins scenes in the mountain top retreat had severe macroblocking. There is one scene in Skeleton Key that looked like a scene from Predator it was so bad (attic shot from inside the secret room as the actress was looking into the room for the first time).

I used a Toshiba SD-K850SU (HDMI) and a Samsung DVD-HD841 (DVI-I) and both exhibited severe macroblocking on the above movies at 1080i. I ended up using the S-video out on the Toshiba to finish watching Skeleton Key.

Somehow I managed to rent two of the worst macroblocking DVDs I've seen in one day. Most of the Batman Begins scenes in the mountain top retreat had severe macroblocking. There is one scene in Skeleton Key that looked like a scene from Predator it was so bad (attic shot from inside the secret room as the actress was looking into the room for the first time).

I used a Toshiba SD-850k (HDMI) and a Samsung HD-841 (DVI-I) and both exhibited severe macroblocking on the above movies. I ended up using the S-video out on the Toshiba to finish watching Skeleton Key.

Is the macroblocking problem where you see some a pixelated picture when something is moving fast. For example, I was watching Robots this weekend (for the most part looks great), but for some fast movements, sometimes I would see some pixels around the head of the robot. I'm not sure if this has to do with the TV or the DVD player (older Sony progressive scan, connected via component).

Couple of questions:

I have a Comcast DVR (motorola) but I'm getting side bands on HD channels during commericals and some shows in 16:9. The NFL games are covering up the entire screen but somethings come with bands on the side. Any way of fixing this? In all HD channels the Menu/Channel Guide shows up with bands every time.

I turned off the DVR and hit the menu button which brings up a setup menu where you can change the ratio, HD output and SD output. On both 720P and 1080i with the 16:9 ratio, I see bands and they only go away if I change it to 480i/p.

Could it be a faulty DVR?

How do you get the menu option to pop up? Do I have to be connected via DVI/HDMI? Right now I have it connected via component and the menu button pulls up a channel guide menu, not the HD box menu options (like output, etc.).

How do you get the menu option to pop up? Do I have to be connected via DVI/HDMI? Right now I have it connected via component and the menu button pulls up a channel guide menu, not the HD box menu options (like output, etc.).

If it is like my TWC box (PACE 550), there is no button on the remote to bring up that menu....It's on the face of the box (called display on mine).

Robert

Robert, I think it's a Motorola box. I found the menu button both on the remote and on the face of the box but it seems that I pull up different menu options than what people are talking about. I was looking for a quick answer on whether or not this was related to cable box to TV connection--but I guess I could go back and wade through the manual ;)

Is the macroblocking problem where you see some a pixelated picture when something is moving fast. For example, I was watching Robots this weekend (for the most part looks great), but for some fast movements, sometimes I would see some pixels around the head of the robot. I'm not sure if this has to do with the TV or the DVD player (older Sony progressive scan, connected via component).
Macroblocking typically appears on dark scenes. What you want to see is a smooth graduation of color shade change in the shadows for example. Instead, with macroblocking, the MPEG format compresses the information into discrete levels. These levels appear on the screen as large blocks (macro blocks) instead of smooth color changes.

It sounds almost like you're describing 'mosquito'ing instead of macroblocking. Batman Begins is a very dark movie and thus has lots of macroblocking in the background at 1080i. In Skeleton Key at 1080i, it got so bad the foreground (actress) got macroblocked.

Macroblocking typically appears on dark scenes. What you want to see is a smooth graduation of color shade change in the shadows for example. Instead, with macroblocking, the MPEG format compresses the information into discrete levels. These levels appear on the screen as large blocks (macro blocks) instead of smooth color changes.

It sounds almost like you're describing 'mosquito'ing instead of macroblocking. Batman Begins is a very dark movie and thus has lots of macroblocking in the background. In Skeleton Key it got so bad the foreground (actress) got macroblocked.

So this leads to the question whether this can improved with a better DVD player or due to the internals of the TV itself?? I guess one reason I'm curious is I want to know if it is worth it to spend a few $$$ on a new DVD player (with 3:2 pulldown, etc.) or not...

Hi there -
After finding the link on FatWallet, I followed the links here, did even more research and bought this tv at BB this weekend. (thanks!!)

I plugged it in to my DVR (Adelphia, not HD) AND DVD with my stock cables and have a beautiful picture BUT I am noticing horizontal lines that are travelling up the screen and a faint buzzing. Do I have a dud? Is this a low quality set? or is this something else?

I would really appreciate your input as I am concerned maybe this set was not all it seems to be.

Thanks

Hi there -
After finding the link on FatWallet, I followed the links here, did even more research and bought this tv at BB this weekend. (thanks!!)

I plugged it in to my DVR (not HD) with my stock cables and have a beautiful picture BUT I am noticing horizontal lines that are travelling up the screen and a faint buzzing. Do I have a dud? Is this a low quality set? or is this something else?

I would really appreciate your input as I am concerned maybe this set was not all it seems to be.

Thanks

Perhaps try different cables/inputs from your DVR. Or try seeing if you have the same problems with a DVD player. After troubleshooting, if nothing works it may be the TV itself. I haven't had any of these issues that you mentioned.

Love it so far. It is amaizing to see the difference in quality of dvd's. Toy story was fantastic. Star Wars Ep 3 was great. Batman begins SUCKED.

I am trying to get a tuner for it next, and I cant wait to hook it up to my computer for some 720p FEAR.

Batman Begins looks fantastic on my TV. Or did you mean the movie itself sucked?

Hi there -
After finding the link on FatWallet, I followed the links here, did even more research and bought this tv at BB this weekend. (thanks!!)

I plugged it in to my DVR (Adelphia, not HD) AND DVD with my stock cables and have a beautiful picture BUT I am noticing horizontal lines that are travelling up the screen and a faint buzzing. Do I have a dud? Is this a low quality set? or is this something else?

I would really appreciate your input as I am concerned maybe this set was not all it seems to be.

Thanks

Could be a ground loop problem. Do you have your TV, DVD and DVR plugged into the same outlet/power strip? Do they all have grounding plugs?

Another possibility is 60Hz hum from a nearby electrical source...are your component cables routed well away from any electrical cords/romex? I've seen some tie-wrap their component cables in a bundle with the power cord, trying to make it look neat.

Robert, I think it's a Motorola box. I found the menu button both on the remote and on the face of the box but it seems that I pull up different menu options than what people are talking about. I was looking for a quick answer on whether or not this was related to cable box to TV connection--but I guess I could go back and wade through the manual ;)


Hit the power button (off) on the DVR and then press menu, you'll see a black and white menu. You can even get it to transmit in 720P. Try it out.

Could be a ground loop problem. Do you have your TV, DVD and DVR plugged into the same outlet/power strip? Do they all have grounding plugs?

Another possibility is 60Hz hum from a nearby electrical source...are your component cables routed well away from any electrical cords/romex? I've seen some tie-wrap their component cables in a bundle with the power cord, trying to make it look neat.

I have them both plugged into the same outlet - but I bought a $50 monster power strip that is supposed to be fixing the group loop problem that they are all plugged into.

As far as the electrical hum - I don't have them (the cords) tied together, but they aren't exactly separated from one another either -- I have read things that suggest a braid or at least better cables? I can try this tonight.

One other thing that worries me is that it is specifically mentioned on maxent's FAQ's. Not having bouight another plasma, I can't say for sure, but I haven't seen it posted as a "common problem" any other place than on maxent's site.

Batman Begins looks fantastic on my TV. Or did you mean the movie itself sucked?
What was your specific electronics setup? (DVD model, connection type - HDMI/component, etc.)


EDIT - I changed my earlier post to reflect that the DVD players I used were upscaling models and the DVDs were upscaled to 1080i.

So this leads to the question whether this can improved with a better DVD player or due to the internals of the TV itself?? I guess one reason I'm curious is I want to know if it is worth it to spend a few $$$ on a new DVD player (with 3:2 pulldown, etc.) or not...

The problem is due to the compression techniques of MPEG-2. Blu-ray DVD standard will remove the issue. OPPO, while the best HDMI player, sometimes exaggerates the problem. The company that produces OPPO is very open to customer suggestions and many have asked for a firmware update that includes Gamma correction on the OPPO dvd player. This should dramatically improve macroblocking.

The problem is not so much the "electronics inside the TV" as the 50X3 is a monitor. Panasonic plasmas seem more prone to macroblocking with the OPPO. Sometimes its just a hit or miss with having a synergistic effect of not having macroblocking. Obviously, if you get electronics that improve macroblocking, you will reduce the effect whether the electronics are in the TV or in the DVD player. Watching DVDs in lower resolution formats or adjusting your brightness levels will also reduce macroblocking as well.

I'm not the definitive expert on macroblocking, so you may want to do some searches here on the AVS forum for a better idea of how it occurs and why.

I'm just hoping to find a good upscaling DVD player to match with the 50X3 with minimal macroblocking, whether component or HDMI.

Search for EBay ID AV_Clearance. He's got the Sanus VMPL mounts cheap..


Thanks! Just ordered one from him. Good deal.

I have them both plugged into the same outlet - but I bought a $50 monster power strip that is supposed to be fixing the group loop problem that they are all plugged into.

As far as the electrical hum - I don't have them (the cords) tied together, but they aren't exactly separated from one another either -- I have read things that suggest a braid or at least better cables? I can try this tonight.

One other thing that worries me is that it is specifically mentioned on maxent's FAQ's. Not having bouight another plasma, I can't say for sure, but I haven't seen it posted as a "common problem" any other place than on maxent's site.

A few things to try by taking as much unknown out the equation:

Un hook all video cables from the Maxent.

Un plug everything from the Monster Power Strip.

Connect the Maxent and DVD player to an outlet, not the power strip.

Connect your component cables from the DVD to the Maxent.

How does the picture look? Any lines?

If no, then proceed. If yes, try moving the component cables around, try a different set, move them to a different input on the Maxent (IE COMP2)

Plug in your DVR to another outlet (unless you can get three things plugged into your one outlet). Connect your component cables from the DVR to the TV. IMPORTANT: UNPLUG the coax to your DVR.

Check the picture...You'll only have blue screen, but check to see if you see any rolling bars.

If no, then proceed....If yes, then try moving the component cables around, try a different set, move them to a different input.

Plug in the Coax to the DVR. Any noise now?

If no, then proceed....If yes, then you likely have an ungrounded or damaged coax.

Unplug everything. Plug them all into the Monster Power strip. Any noise now? If yes, then throw the Monster strip into the trash where it belongs ;)

Robert

Thanks so much Robert, I will try all of this out tonight and let you know tomorrow morning!

Trying to figure out how to mount this thing on my plaster walls. Any suggestions?

Trying to figure out how to mount this thing on my plaster walls. Any suggestions?
Don't.

Not meaning my response to be funny, but if it is a true plaster (especially with laths), I would not do it. There are floor display stands that you can buy that are adjustable for height, so you can place the screen in the same location as you would if you mounted it directly to the wall. Some are included with component cabinets as well, so it appears that the plasmas float above the cabinets (allows you to put accessories on the top of the cabinets).

I have been playing with the TV for a week. I still have some PQ issues.

In dark scenes, the black look deep, however the gray area is very granulated. Also in dark scenes, sometimes the face has patches of different shades.

In shot of sky or ocean, I often see clear boundaries when the color shades changes. If there is a bright (light, sun) in the scene, I can see circles of color bands around the bright spot. Do you guys see these? Or do all the Digital tvs have these? I see it in HD signal from Motorola HD DVR box via HDMI cable, as well as DVD source via component cable. I see these issues playing the scenes from video essential disc.

I am so on the fence about keeping this set or taking it back. :(

If I get the BB 4-year warranty, I can turn the TV back in after 2-3 years, and apply the entire cost to a 50"+ LCD, if I so desire. At least, that's what I understand. In the meantime, I can watch HD content (what little there is) and my TiVo still works on it, just not "optimal" picture.

But I'd have to explain to the courts (ex-wife always asking for more $) why I have a 50" plasma screen, and I'm betting they'll say "if you can afford that, you can afford to pay her more."

And I returned the 841 DVD player to Amazon (defective), so I'd need to find a good upscaling DVD player. Maybe even spring for the OPPO, though it's costly.

But I might be able to get the 4-year warranty + about $80 back, because of a price mistake on the BB website (which we got screenshots of, and several people have already had success with.)

Decisions, decisions...well, at any rate, I've decided to wait until at least next week before I return it, since Friday is BF.

I am so on the fence about keeping this set or taking it back. :(

If I get the BB 4-year warranty, I can turn the TV back in after 2-3 years, and apply the entire cost to a 50"+ LCD, if I so desire. At least, that's what I understand. In the meantime, I can watch HD content (what little there is) and my TiVo still works on it, just not "optimal" picture.

But I'd have to explain to the courts (ex-wife always asking for more $) why I have a 50" plasma screen, and I'm betting they'll say "if you can afford that, you can afford to pay her more."

And I returned the 841 DVD player to Amazon (defective), so I'd need to find a good upscaling DVD player. Maybe even spring for the OPPO, though it's costly.

But I might be able to get the 4-year warranty + about $80 back, because of a price mistake on the BB website (which we got screenshots of, and several people have already had success with.)

Decisions, decisions...well, at any rate, I've decided to wait until at least next week before I return it, since Friday is BF.

Have the g/f 'buy' the TV....No worries about the courts then.

I have been playing with the TV for a week. I still have some PQ issues.

In dark scenes, the black look deep, however the gray area is very granulated. Also in dark scenes, sometimes the face has patches of different shades.

In shot of sky or ocean, I often see clear boundaries when the color shades changes. If there is a bright (light, sun) in the scene, I can see circles of color bands around the bright spot. Do you guys see these? Or do all the Digital tvs have these? I see it in HD signal from Motorola HD DVR box via HDMI cable, as well as DVD source via component cable. I see these issues playing the scenes from video essential disc.


I too see weird shades when it's dark thru my Motorola HD DVR boxvia dvi->hdmi cable. For the lights, it is fine. Will test for it later from a DVD using components...

:(

-armus

Comcast now has a DVR/HD Box with a HDMI out. I just picked it up. I'll hook up this box via HDMI and my old box via Component and do some PQ comparisons and report back. Sucks that now I can't use HDMI on my DVD :(

Comcast now has a DVR/HD Box with a HDMI out. I just picked it up. I'll hook up this box via HDMI and my old box via Component and do some PQ comparisons and report back. Sucks that now I can use HDMI on my DVD :(
What is the model #?

Any other differences when compared to the 6412?

I am so on the fence about keeping this set or taking it back. :(

If I get the BB 4-year warranty, I can turn the TV back in after 2-3 years, and apply the entire cost to a 50"+ LCD, if I so desire. At least, that's what I understand.

This may have already been addressed, but I wanted to go ahead and respond anyway so you don't get screwed.

The Best Buy PSP does many things, but it WILL NOT let you trade in your TV for a new set. If the salesperson told you that, they're full of crap and misinformed. I don't say this to bash BB, because I AM a Best Buy employee.

The only way you'll get a replacement TV is if it breaks within the service plan's period, and they can't fix or replace it. Then you'll get credit towards a similar performing set.

I also have the newer Moto 6412 III with HDMI. I just recieved my cable and hooked it up a few days ago. Looked great, but my S-Video output from the box now has a problem. ( I have two outputs from the STB to the Maxent, HDMI for HD and S-Video for SD ... so I can keep seperate video settings and use 'panorama'... kids cartoons look really 'awesome' this way)

Anyways, with both outputs sent to the Maxent... the S-video connection had problems with very slow menus and the remote not working. The favorites wouldn't even respond. As soon as I disconnected the HDMI cable... boom... all was well. So after much playing around... I went back to component cables... no problems with menus or favorites. PQ is still just as good.

Another thing I found in another thread about the Moto 6412 III... is if you don't have 12.22 rev of firmware the DVR records in PCM and not DD5.1 with the HDMI cable. I have Comcast and only version 12.18. So I am screwed there too. Hopefully the firmwire upgrades comes out soon and fixes both my problems.

I also have the newer Moto 6412 III with HDMI. I just recieved my cable and hooked it up a few days ago. Looked great, but my S-Video output from the box now has a problem. ( I have two outputs from the STB to the Maxent, HDMI for HD and S-Video for SD ... so I can keep seperate video settings and use 'panorama'... kids cartoons look really 'awesome' this way)

Anyways, with both outputs sent to the Maxent... the S-video connection had problems with very slow menus and the remote not working. The favorites wouldn't even respond. As soon as I disconnected the HDMI cable... boom... all was well. So after much playing around... I went back to component cables... no problems with menus or favorites. PQ is still just as good.

Another thing I found in another thread about the Moto 6412 III... is if you don't have 12.22 rev of firmware the DVR records in PCM and not DD5.1 with the HDMI cable. I have Comcast and only version 12.18. So I am screwed there too. Hopefully the firmwire upgrades comes out soon and fixes both my problems.

The SA 8300 box has similar issues...I think it disables the s-video port when an HDMI cable is connected. :(

What was your specific electronics setup? (DVD model, connection type - HDMI/component, etc.)


EDIT - I changed my earlier post to reflect that the DVD players I used were upscaling models and the DVDs were upscaled to 1080i.

I have a Harman Kardon DVD player that outputs its signal via component cable to my Harman Kardon receiver, which then outputs the signal via component calbes to the TV.

I went in to order the TV last night, and when they pulled it up, the SKU showed as "deleted" for the 50". Meaning that BB is no long going to carry the TV.

Anyone have any thoughts about this? Or what the implications might be?

BTW I 3x checked that its the 50x3 thats been deleted.

I went in to order the TV last night, and when they pulled it up, the SKU showed as "deleted" for the 50". Meaning that BB is no long going to carry the TV.

Anyone have any thoughts about this? Or what the implications might be?

BTW I 3x checked that its the 50x3 thats been deleted.

I ordered one last night at Best Buy and didn't have any problems at all. They already had two that were on the way to the store, but they went ahead and ordered an extra one also. They had the display, but it looked like it had just been put out there.

I also have the newer Moto 6412 III with HDMI. I just recieved my cable and hooked it up a few days ago. Looked great, but my S-Video output from the box now has a problem. ( I have two outputs from the STB to the Maxent, HDMI for HD and S-Video for SD ... so I can keep seperate video settings and use 'panorama'... kids cartoons look really 'awesome' this way)

Anyways, with both outputs sent to the Maxent... the S-video connection had problems with very slow menus and the remote not working. The favorites wouldn't even respond. As soon as I disconnected the HDMI cable... boom... all was well. So after much playing around... I went back to component cables... no problems with menus or favorites. PQ is still just as good.

Another thing I found in another thread about the Moto 6412 III... is if you don't have 12.22 rev of firmware the DVR records in PCM and not DD5.1 with the HDMI cable. I have Comcast and only version 12.18. So I am screwed there too. Hopefully the firmwire upgrades comes out soon and fixes both my problems.

I also have the Moto 6412 III and I must say that everything (including SD) looks much better now that I replaced that defective AQ component cable and re-routed my the Maxents power supply cable away from all of the video cables.

I was also going to try the S-video/HDMI route for the Moto 6412 III as soon as my new cables arrived from RAM. I hope this is not a problem as I would like to get my picture looking as good as possible. ( I guess I better check out the Moto on-line manual. )

Regardless, I am very pleased with my Maxent now that I have HD looking fantastic and DVDs very close behind as I just moved my fairly new Yamaha DV-S5750 downstairs as it has an even better picture than my old 7-disc JVC XV-FA95. SD looks pretty good now with just the single feed component cable running to it.

I also finally tried out the Samsung 850 up-converting (finally found one at a BB) DVD player and I must say that I was not impressed. I think the PQ actually looked worse output at 720p (over component) as there was much pixelation and banding problems versus the 480p output on both my JVC and Yammy players which look great. The Sammy also had problems outputting at 480p as the picture would stutter, etc.

BTW, I watched Batman Begins last night that several people on this thread were having problems with on the Yammy player and saw no banding or pixelation in the movie. It looked great !

Now, if those new cables would just get here so I could tinker some more with the settings! :p

I went in to order the TV last night, and when they pulled it up, the SKU showed as "deleted" for the 50". Meaning that BB is no long going to carry the TV.

Anyone have any thoughts about this? Or what the implications might be?

BTW I 3x checked that its the 50x3 thats been deleted.

Either the guy at your store was mistaken, or their computer was wrong.

I went in to order the TV last night, and when they pulled it up, the SKU showed as "deleted" for the 50". Meaning that BB is no long going to carry the TV.

Anyone have any thoughts about this? Or what the implications might be?

BTW I 3x checked that its the 50x3 thats been deleted.


Try MX-50x3

Since we are all having such drastically different results with this set maybe we should start posting some info such as firmware versions (to see if they are different) and/or internal components(that is the ones you can see through the vents.

I originally had some problems with rolling horizontal lines on my set, byt after some troubleshooting from Robertsmee, we discovered that it was the fault of our Adephia DVR. I don't know if these problems will persist once we get the HD DVR on Saturday, but I will keep an eye on this board. Thanks so much for the help.

Either the guy at your store was mistaken, or their computer was wrong.


I saw it off the computer myself, at 2 different best buy's.

Anyway, just to clarify - the Maxents can still be ordered , because they still have stock in their wearhouses.

So the SKU still shows up in the system, but in the status, it says deleted , which means that Best Buy is not getting any more of the Maxents (after they sell whats in the wearhouses right now)

So the Maxent's can still be purchased, as I did purchase mine last night. But I'm wondering why Best Buy will no longer have them after the current stock.

And for reference it is the 50x3, which was due to be sold from 10/28/05 to 10/28/06 (also from the computer screen) with SKU of 7335485

If anyone's going back to Best Buy - or if anyone works there - just ask them the status of the SKU - maybe its a regional thing? (I'm in Houston) :confused:

I saw it off the computer myself, at 2 different best buy's.

Anyway, just to clarify - the Maxents can still be ordered , because they still have stock in their wearhouses.

So the SKU still shows up in the system, but in the status, it says deleted , which means that Best Buy is not getting any more of the Maxents (after they sell whats in the wearhouses right now)

So the Maxent's can still be purchased, as I did purchase mine last night. But I'm wondering why Best Buy will no longer have them after the current stock.

And for reference it is the 50x3, which was due to be sold from 10/28/05 to 10/28/06 (also from the computer screen) with SKU of 7335485

If anyone's going back to Best Buy - or if anyone works there - just ask them the status of the SKU - maybe its a regional thing? (I'm in Houston) :confused:

I just called 3 local Best Buys, and none of theirs show up as Deleted.

I just bought one on Sunday in Tulsa, OK and I was back in the store this evening for a price match and figured I'd ask him about the status of this set (told him I heard a rumor they were being pulled, which has happened). He looked at the SKU and at the ordering status and said nothing seemed out of place to him at all. Sounds like there may have been a mistake at that Houston store. At least I hope there was.

I just bought one on Sunday in Tulsa, OK and I was back in the store this evening for a price match and figured I'd ask him about the status of this set (told him I heard a rumor they were being pulled, which has happened). He looked at the SKU and at the ordering status and said nothing seemed out of place to him at all. Sounds like there may have been a mistake at that Houston store. At least I hope there was.


Thanks a lot for the update. This may just be something with the Houston area, I'm going back to BB tomorrow so I'll ask the manager or atleast try to find someone in the know!

BTW how does BB's PSP work with this TV? Does it include in home service? Burn in coverage? Or is there already discussion about the warranties somewhere else?

Since we are all having such drastically different results with this set maybe we should start posting some info such as firmware versions (to see if they are different) and/or internal components(that is the ones you can see through the vents.


TJ,

Tell me where to look for this info. and I will be happy to post it up on the forum for everyone's reference. Maybe we will begin to see some trends if everyone posts up their specs.

BTW, Just watched the new War of the Worlds DVD tonight and it looked pretty darn good too. ( I figured it might be another good one besides Batman Begins to watch/look for PQ issues because of all of the dark scenes. )

Cheers! :D

The Sammy also had problems outputting at 480p as the picture would stutter, etc.
I have had similar issues with the Toshiba SD-K850SU and Samsung DVD-HD841 like you had with the Samsung DVD-HD850. Toshiba was an early adopter of the 480p standard and released players way back (1999) without MacroVision compatibility for the progressive (480p/525p) output. It seems that since these players are upscaling units, I am starting to believe that neither Toshiba nor Samsung are MacroVision compliant for the component 480p output (they are, however, HDCP compliant for HDMI, etc.). In other words, their focus is on the Hi-Def output, and the manufacturers may not have been too concerned about the lower resolution output that the players are not marketed for. I hope to try the Toshiba SD-K750 (non-HDMI, progressive player) within the next week or so.

The Pioneer Elite DV-45A works flawlessly over component at 480p (it is MacroVision compliant).

TJ,

BTW, Just watched the new War of the Worlds DVD tonight and it looked pretty darn good too. ( I figured it might be another good one besides Batman Begins to watch/look for PQ issues because of all of the dark scenes. )

Cheers! :D

I start to wonder if my unit is defective. Most of you seem to be happy with the PQ, but mine seems to be plagued by the non smooth color gradient in very bright and very dark scenes. I just watched the Army of Darkness last night, and it was pretty bad. It's like watching on a 256 color monitor at times. I see these problems with 480p, 480i output, and on some TV programs with HDMI or Svideo outputs. Shall I exchange for a different unit?