ok,

I just got the baby in the door last night... Holy moly... this thing is huge. I'm right in the middle of renovating my living room and it showed up just a smidge to early (like a week at least for how fast I'm moving). I ordered it on Oct 26th which is a pretty quick delivery as far as I'm concerned.

Anyway, I ripped (carefully followed instructions on removing ;) ) the outer box off and have not been able to get a friend over to help me take it out of the lower box... so it's just sitting on the floor with the rapping pealed back so I could take a look see.

I momentarily hooked up the power to check for the buzz that has plagued the 42 owners, and I'm happy to report... no buzz ! :D I also hooked up my HTPC through component connections to just get a quick look see. So far so good. The HTPC definately needs to have it's resolution changed (running at 640x480 right now) but I figured, better to wait to play with all that later (like when I get it out of the box).

Now, I have to wait for the weekend to get a buddy over to help me get the damn thing completely out of the box and hooked up.

More to come later... and pics too!

Dude! I got a Dell.

Now, I have to wait for the weekend to get a buddy over to help me get the damn thing completely out of the box and hooked up.

After waiting to see who gets one first, you are going to make us wait all w/e to hear how it looks ... :(

I take off tomorrow for a week: hope to hear great things on my return!

...Mike

OK.

Finally got it out of the box and hooked up. W.O.W.

I'm not used to something this large so that might be affecting my judgement... but wow.

I immediately went in and started lowering the brightness and contrast, partially for break-in but also because they looked like they were set way to high. I plugged in my satellite to the s-video connection and my HTPC to the VGA input.

Once I played around with my HTPC for a while (powerstrip etc.) I finally got a good resolution pumping out to the Dell (1360x768). I literally sat back, jaw on my lap, eyes the size of dinner plates... and just stared at the screen. I couldn't believe how great it looked. Again, this is just a bias thing... I'm used to looking at my HTPC hooked up to a 27" HD CRT... overscan... can't see everything blah blah blah. But with the Dell I can see and read everything. Even sitting back on my couch, which is about 11 feet away from the screen, I could read text and icons.

OK. So, my initial shock aside, I am very pleased so far with the results. SD coming from my satellite box (I don't have HD... but will be getting it in the next couple of months) was not as bad as I was prepared for. Don't get me wrong though... you can definately see issues with the signal, but sitting back on the couch it wasn't all that bad. The input from the HTPC was amazing. I've never seen a DVD look that good. I can definately tell I need to find the Avia disk to set some colors etc. as I am seeing some bloooming (I think that's the term... looks like a cloud) but it seems confined mainly in dark areas which I'm attributing to the fact that I have things cranked down for the break-in.

As far as the physical unit is concerned, everything seems solid and well put together (as expected). I wish I would have known what the dimensions were on the stand as I passed up a free "temporary" table to put it on as I thought it would not have been wide enough. The stand measures 35.5" wide and 12" deep (at it's deepest point). Also, for some reason I thought the unit was completely black, but it actually has a silver outer bezel. That's no problem, but just in case someone else gets confused like I did.

More later... gotta go get that last golf game of the year in :D

Some pics... batteries died in the camera... more live shots later.
http://img173.imageshack.us/img173/8477/plasma001s1ws.th.jpg (http://img173.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plasma001s1ws.jpg) http://img173.imageshack.us/img173/5209/plasma003s4fw.th.jpg (http://img173.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plasma003s4fw.jpg) http://img433.imageshack.us/img433/4404/plasma004s8er.th.jpg (http://img433.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plasma004s8er.jpg) http://img433.imageshack.us/img433/3927/plasma005s7ph.th.jpg (http://img433.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plasma005s7ph.jpg) http://img433.imageshack.us/img433/7375/plasma009s7zb.th.jpg (http://img433.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plasma009s7zb.jpg)

Hey RADIatiON,

Did you have a chance to run it through its paces yet? Any further comments will be much appreciated. Mines due here in a couple of weeks.

I'm really curious here .. trying to understand why you would buy the Dell ? There are 0 reviews on, and past history says it will be decent at best (compared to other options) and on top of that it costs more then top rated Panasonic units.

Dell usually wins because of price, but this is not the case here, they are actually more expensive then the competition, and have an unproven product. Unless you need the exact dimensions/cable locations as mentioned by one person I can't fathom why one would buy the Dell ?

Hey RADIatiON,

Did you have a chance to run it through its paces yet? Any further comments will be much appreciated. Mines due here in a couple of weeks.
Hey E39, I haven't really had a chance to run it through it's paces yet, no more really to report yet other than what's listed above.

A friend came over and helped me mount the set on the wall. It looks really nice there but I still have to un-mount it, paint the wall, run the cables though etc. Plus I'm trying to give it a chance to settle in before I calibrate it up using Avia (still have to find the disc. It's packed away in a box somewhere right now... man renovations are messy).

Dell usually wins because of price, but this is not the case here, they are actually more expensive then the competition, and have an unproven product.
Well riekl, that's actually not true in this case. I bought it when it was on sale and got the same size panel with all the connections I needed, and the built in tuners, and the speakers (which I may or may not use), and a table stand all for quite a bit less than what the commecial panny would have totaled. Plus I would have had to buy a connection slot or two which would have added to the panny's cost.

Also I deal with Dell all the time for work so I have a relationship with the company as opposed to forming a new one with a panny dealer.

My decision was based on the feedback and reports from the 42" users and how that panel matched up. I don't expect the 50" will come out with the same mistakes the 42" has (buzzing, HDMI connection problem etc.) so I figured it was a pretty safe bet.

I hope that answers your question.

Does the 50" dell plasma have fans, or is this the new fanless design i read about earlier in a press release?

I'm really curious here .. trying to understand why you would buy the Dell ? There are 0 reviews on, and past history says it will be decent at best (compared to other options) and on top of that it costs more then top rated Panasonic units.

Dell usually wins because of price, but this is not the case here, they are actually more expensive then the competition, and have an unproven product. Unless you need the exact dimensions/cable locations as mentioned by one person I can't fathom why one would buy the Dell ?

I'm not too sure when, but I suppose it has been relatively recent, a new phenomenom has sprung up out of nowhere. Pretty crazy stuff if you ask me, but if you click this and read number six, it should explain it. (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=sale)

Couple that with a suitable antonym for this word (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=hassle) in regards to returns.

Seems like a no-brainer to me, but what do I know. I ate copious amounts of lead paint when I was a child.

I'm not too sure when, but I suppose it has been relatively recent, a new phenomenom has sprung up out of nowhere. Pretty crazy stuff if you ask me, but if you click this and read number six, it should explain it. (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=sale)

Couple that with a suitable antonym for this word (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=hassle) in regards to returns.

Seems like a no-brainer to me, but what do I know. I ate copious amounts of lead paint when I was a child.


lolol


yea im curious to hear more too -

RADIatiON

Where did it ship from?

Well riekl, that's actually not true in this case. I bought it when it was on sale and got the same size panel with all the connections I needed, and the built in tuners, and the speakers (which I may or may not use), and a table stand all for quite a bit less than what the commecial panny would have totaled. Plus I would have had to buy a connection slot or two which would have added to the panny's cost.

Also I deal with Dell all the time for work so I have a relationship with the company as opposed to forming a new one with a panny dealer.

My decision was based on the feedback and reports from the 42" users and how that panel matched up. I don't expect the 50" will come out with the same mistakes the 42" has (buzzing, HDMI connection problem etc.) so I figured it was a pretty safe bet.

I hope that answers your question.

? What matchup were you reading ? There is no matchup anywhere that I have read that compares the Dell's (42") PQ favorably to the Panny. To each their own but to me at least PQ is #1, arrange then by cost to get a value rating.

I wish you luck with your new set .. I still find it baffling that you would spend this much money on a set which no one anywhere had really reviewed when there are sets that are rated 9/10+ by everyone who reviews them in the same price category.

I find it baffling that you would have the gall to rain on one mans parade. He loves his tv, he has connections with dell, why do you have to treat him so poorly?

Thanks for that mattburk. I don't think riekl is really trying to rain on my parade... I think it's just sounding that way... but in any case I'm treating it that he is just trying to understand my thought process.
? What matchup were you reading ? There is no matchup anywhere that I have read that compares the Dell's (42") PQ favorably to the Panny.
I wasn't talking about a matchup comparing the two. What I said was I based it on owners of the 42" and how it matched up for them... or to maybe say it better... how they found their 42", problems they had with their 42", their perceived picture quality etc.
And thank you for wishing me luck! I wish you luck with your new Panny and I have no doubt you made a good choice... especially based on your criteria which you explained in your thread.

Kriscad... according to my packing document it shipped out of a Dell location in North York Ontario... don't know where it came from before that.

roblim... I haven't heard any fans, nor have I seen any while peering in the back grille of the unit. They could be there, but I haven't seen or heard them... so let's go with "it's fanless" ;)

This is taken from one of the spec pages for the display. Sounds like fanless to me.

"Plasma TVs require more power than traditional CRT TVs to generate bright, vibrant images. Dell plasma TVs have been designed to dissipate the heat generated from the additional power requirements in the quietest manner possible with the thinnest chassis, utilizing a fan-less design. You may notice hot spots on the rear chassis cover as the convective cooling is venting this heat. This is normal and proper operation of the TV."

Is that some type of Windows Media Center that you are playing on this TV? More info on that please

Reikl asked a valid question, (maybe could have phrased it a little more politely). I think there many good reasons. I don't think everybody is looking for the very bottom dollar and the absolute best PQ rating every time. Asthetics, features, inputs, warrantee, company reputation, convenience and of course in this case business relationships all come into play. I have always payed a little more than bottom dollar for my equipment, so that I can deal with someone I like and have confidence that they will take care of me if there is a problem with the device. Personally, I tend to like the small time family run AV dealers best. My time is valuable and screwing around with some punk at BB is not worth the few dollars savings to me. If you have to be on the bleeding edge and your time is valuable, I think Dell is a good play, conveniently delivered to your door, good return policy (pick up at your door), on top of that he's got other business he can use for leverage, seems low risk to me.

Sometimes bad experiences have an influence on my purchase decisions. There has been some Sony equipment that I really wanted to purchase, perfect match for my needs at the lowest cost, but I just could not bring myself to do business with them because of their involvement with the music industry's lawsuits against children. So the bottom line is there are many many reasons beyond price and PQ and asking questions like that is why the forum is so full of good information.

Thanks very much for your posts Radiation. I am the guy referenced earlier that bought one based solely on it's physical dimensions to fit in a steel carriage and slide in and out of my fireplace on a lift. Sounds like with all the passive heat "radiation", it's a good thing it's going in my fireplace! My Dell 50" is due to arrive tomorrow afternoon.
Good thread.

Thanks for taking my post appropriate Radiation I was NOT trying to "rain on your parade" I was genuinely interested in how you came to pull the cord on a purchase of an unreviewed device when there are plenty of top notch options out there that are known to be good product.

I was also very sincere in wishing you luck with your new plasma I hope it works out great for you !

Have you calibrated it?

Please publish your settings. Trying to help a co-worker who just got one.

I quickly set mine up to make sure it wasn't broken in shipping after it was delivered this evening. I didn't hook it up to my sat reciever but just used the onboard OTA digital tuner. (I have the base off now, so I won't have any way to watch it again until I finish making new base anchors.)

The only thing quantitative I can say at this point is that the tuner pulls in a digital station that neither my hughes or samsung DTV/OTA tuners can get.

On the subjective side the picture appears excellent on 1080i, as good as anything thing I have looked at in the last couple of weeks, (could not find anyone doing 720p at the time I had it on), scaled 480i and 480p hmmmm think I have seen better but I can barely stand to look at scaled material anyway.

Two channel sound was very good for factory speakers, I watched a bit of the Johny Cash concert. I was not planning on keeping the speakers but now I think I will. They also look pretty cool on their stands.

I found the user interface/menus pretty good, simple and logical, didn't need to open the manual.

A few nit picky things:

The remote was a little weak, didn't always take when I was more than 12'-15' away at a bit of an angle. Not easy to navigate by feel, and channel/volume buttons didn't have good tactile feedback. No exit button on the remote to dump from the menu, have to navigate to a "back" or "exit" selection on the screen.

I found the volume button a bit tedious. You have to hold the botton on the remote down an unusually long time to make a material change in volume. (possibly the batteries are just old).

Bottom line (at least preliminarily) I would say the unit exceeded my expectations, particularly with PQ. It came with 3 or 4 factory picture presets. I will probably live with one of those and not mess with any calibration or other obsessive/compulsive behaviors. Been there, done that, with my projector many times, but consider myself cured now.

Is that some type of Windows Media Center that you are playing on this TV? More info on that pleaseYes. It's called Meedio and you can find it here. (http://www.meedio.com/) It's a great program, and now that I have finally got it outputting in the high res. man does it look nice. I was also very sincere in wishing you luck with your new plasma I hope it works out great for you !Thank you! I was sincere also. I know you must have been having the "buyers remorse" type thing (just like I was having) whenever we make a big purchase decision... especially since the Dell was an option for you... but... I have no doubt you won't regret your purchase. pssst... we're past the hard part now... time to enjoy the damn things. :D Well ok, the credit card bill is still coming (the post office probably can't find a fork lift in the area to drop it off for me) :eek:
Have you calibrated it?
Please publish your settings. Trying to help a co-worker who just got one.I've calibrated up the VGA connection as in as much as I've tried. I must admit I'm having a hard time doing it to. Using the Avia disk and playing with the brightness/contrast I find it's too "bright" when I set it to what the disc tests suggest. Also, the VGA connection does not have all the settings available to tweak with. No color etc. other than a couple presets of "Natural, Normal, Blue, Red". I'm currently using the Natural and Brightness is 40 and Contrast is 42.

Davivers! Congrats! Can't wait to see a pic of your handy work.
I have to agree with you on the remote. The thing is a little long... and I don't like the feel of it either. But I do like the blue light that illuminates all the buttons once you press one thing. Also... try just pushing the "menu" button again to exit. I have found that to work.

I've been sick for the last two days and been lying on the couch watching TV. The TV's actually been on for 39 hours straight right now. I must say I've been enjoying it and don't really have anything to complain about... but...

I have noticed that the black or shadowy areas sometimes have a very tough time with detail. I get that "cloudy" or "bloomy" effect. Is this something due to the size of the unit compared to my ol 27" or the feed? I've noticed it a lot more while I am watching divx'd versions of TV shows like CSI:Miami and the like. This is why I think it may be a source/screen size issue. But, I've also noticed the reverse of this when there is a bright point and then darkness all around, like the scene from Finding Nemo where they meet that angler fish. There is some blooming around it as it trys to step down in "light".

It is something that I can live with. I also have noticed it was a lot worse before I started tweaking with the Avis disk. BTW... how do I tweak a connection from my sat. box... by eye?

So... those of you with other pdp's please chime in if this is "normal" and davivers and E39 let me know what you find.

Yes. It's called Meedio and you can find it here. (http://www.meedio.com/) It's a great program, and now that I have finally got it outputting in the high res. man does it look nice. Thank you! I was sincere also. I know you must have been having the "buyers remorse" type thing (just like I was having) whenever we make a big purchase decision... especially since the Dell was an option for you... but... I have no doubt you won't regret your purchase. pssst... we're past the hard part now... time to enjoy the damn things. :D Well ok, the credit card bill is still coming (the post office probably can't find a fork lift in the area to drop it off for me) :eek:
I've calibrated up the VGA connection as in as much as I've tried. I must admit I'm having a hard time doing it to. Using the Avia disk and playing with the brightness/contrast I find it's too "bright" when I set it to what the disc tests suggest. Also, the VGA connection does not have all the settings available to tweak with. No color etc. other than a couple presets of "Natural, Normal, Blue, Red". I'm currently using the Natural and Brightness is 40 and Contrast is 42.

Davivers! Congrats! Can't wait to see a pic of your handy work.
I have to agree with you on the remote. The thing is a little long... and I don't like the feel of it either. But I do like the blue light that illuminates all the buttons once you press one thing. Also... try just pushing the "menu" button again to exit. I have found that to work.

I've been sick for the last two days and been lying on the couch watching TV. The TV's actually been on for 39 hours straight right now. I must say I've been enjoying it and don't really have anything to complain about... but...

I have noticed that the black or shadowy areas sometimes have a very tough time with detail. I get that "cloudy" or "bloomy" effect. Is this something due to the size of the unit compared to my ol 27" or the feed? I've noticed it a lot more while I am watching divx'd versions of TV shows like CSI:Miami and the like. This is why I think it may be a source/screen size issue. But, I've also noticed the reverse of this when there is a bright point and then darkness all around, like the scene from Finding Nemo where they meet that angler fish. There is some blooming around it as it trys to step down in "light".

It is something that I can live with. I also have noticed it was a lot worse before I started tweaking with the Avis disk. BTW... how do I tweak a connection from my sat. box... by eye?

So... those of you with other pdp's please chime in if this is "normal" and davivers and E39 let me know what you find.


The detail problem is due to the s-video connection, use component it should improve. You need at least a component connection in this TV on HD and DVD sources.

Got the plasma mounted in its new frame, and temporarily wired so it will lift itself into the fireplace opening. See photos.

Getting it mounted took the whole weekend so I only had a chance to start playing with it again for a couple of hours. But I got the remote working much better. Better correlation with clicking feel of the button and it actually doing something.

I should probably mention that the exposed steel frame shown in the photos will eventually get covered with millwork to match the fireplace woodwork.

davivers--

That is an incredibly cool set up. Very slick. Congrats. Oh, and the picture on the set looks pretty good, too. ;)

So, does the TV go down below floor level on the tracks? What do you see behind it when it is not being watched?

Take care,
Rich

The foundation wall juts out below the fireplace so the rails, carriage, screw drive and counterweight system all partially set back in that recess. The Dell 50" plasma rides the carriage and slips right in front marble face and glass doors of the fireplace. The face of the fireplace is recessed far enough that when the plasma is in the up position it is about flush with the oak columns and mantel and thus looks built in. When the unit is down it just looks like a normal fireplace, and eventually I will have it so the plasma can be viewed in the basement, but that room is not finished yet, so maybe in a couple of years.

I used the fastest and quietest garage door screw drive I could find so it really pops up and down. Kind of like Star Trek turned on it's side.

I still have a lot to do, primarily the woodworking and a lot of wiring.

That looks F***** awesome. Great work on that. Can't wait to see the finished product. Wish I had that done in my house lol

Hi there.

I just want to confirm the Dell W5001C has a VGA input. I originally crossed it off my list because the dell site doesn't show the W5001C has having PC inputs.

thanks!

davivers... that has got to be the coolest thing I have ever seen. Do you work for British Intelligence or something? Straight outta Jame Bond that is.
I just want to confirm the Dell W5001C has a VGA input. I originally crossed it off my list because the dell site doesn't show the W5001C has having PC inputs.Yup... it has a VGA connection. You have to look for the "tech specs" on the site, or download the product manual (http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/w5001/).

I have some more pics. Sorry they aren't any better. Having a real tough time keeping the camera steady and it's too dark now to take pics without the flash... but some of you might like it.
http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/5719/plasma010s7ar.th.jpg (http://img520.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plasma010s7ar.jpg) http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/7391/plasma011s8hu.th.jpg (http://img520.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plasma011s8hu.jpg) http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/138/plasma013s4px.th.jpg (http://img520.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plasma013s4px.jpg)
The detail problem is due to the s-video connection, use component it should improve. You need at least a component connection in this TV on HD and DVD sources.Thanks for that, but I was talking about through my VGA connection. I've since adjusted the brightness and contrast a bit more and things seem better now. I should probably also update my video card drivers and such... or switch to a DVI->HDMI cable.

Thanks so much. Here is a photo of what is behind the plasma. I took this picture right after cutting out the slot in the marble tile hearth using a rotozip. (oh boy, you should have seen the wifes face when she saw this hole, I should have got a picture of that too).

I have taken pictures all along the way, probably when I am finished I will post the best ones in the photo gallery section of the forum.

i ordered the panny 50px50u but the delivery date is at the end of Dec. I am seriously considering canceling that order and ordering the Dell. i would be interested in hearing comments on the black levels and the HD PQ with the Dell.

I have some more pics. Sorry they aren't any better. Having a real tough time keeping the camera steady and it's too dark now to take pics without the flash... but some of you might like it.

Heya RADIatiON,

I've been meaning to ask, what theme are you running? I've been Meedio'in since release and have been using the HdeeTV theme since Kelmk made it, however I have not been keeping up with things for months.

Is that a new version? (I'm running version 2.0).

Secondly, you're running component cables as opposed to DVI, right?

Heya RADIatiON,

I've been meaning to ask, what theme are you running? I've been Meedio'in since release and have been using the HdeeTV theme since Kelmk made it, however I have not been keeping up with things for months.

Is that a new version? (I'm running version 2.0).

Secondly, you're running component cables as opposed to DVI, right?Hey E39.. that is HDeeTV now (what a kick-ass theme), I just put in a background that I liked. It's the latest version of it... I only had a 640x480 screen before so I never really played with the themes that much.

I'm actually running VGA from the computer to the PDP since I got it mounted on the wall. I'm thinking about trying a DVI->HDMI cable. In the beginning I was using component (pc -> component transcoder -> tv) for the initial look-see. I'm also running an s-video cable from the satellite box.

My HDTV box comes on the weekend so I will have some more stuff to report then. Gonna use an HDMI cable for that. Can't wait to see sunday football in HD.

As for now... I am extremely happy. Can't wait to get the renovations done so I can sit back and watch TV without feeling guilty that I should be painting that wall instead ;)

BTW E39... when the hell is yours showing up?!?! :D

Hey E39.. that is HDeeTV now (what a kick-ass theme), I just put in a background that I liked. It's the latest version of it... I only had a 640x480 screen before so I never really played with the themes that much.

Interesting.. I've never tried changing the background to an image of my choosing...


My HDTV box comes on the weekend so I will have some more stuff to report then. Gonna use an HDMI cable for that. Can't wait to see sunday football in HD.


To date I still have a hard time believing how good sports in HD is... can't wait to see it in fifty inches!!


As for now... I am extremely happy. Can't wait to get the renovations done so I can sit back and watch TV without feeling guilty that I should be painting that wall instead ;)

BTW E39... when the hell is yours showing up?!?! :D

In less than two hours I imagine! Now I just have to wait for the damn installers...

In less than two hours I imagine! Now I just have to wait for the damn installers...Great ! When are the installers coming? Are you mounting yours? Gonna try to one up davivers and have it maybe pivot through the wall like one of the letters from Wheel Of Fortune used to do? ;)

Great ! When are the installers coming? Are you mounting yours? Gonna try to one up davivers and have it maybe pivot through the wall like one of the letters from Wheel Of Fortune used to do? ;)

hahahahah... no, I'm doing the boring, on the wall mount. Except I live in a highrise and don't think I'm up to the task of mounting this on steel studs.

As for the date, Dell botched this up a touch and I'm not sure when it will be. (That said, I definately won't be able to wait... I'll check it out tonight for sure! :))

Originally Posted by snoop01
I would be interested in hearing comments on the black levels and the HD PQ with the Dell.

Black levels on the W5001C? That's a tough question to quantify without being able to do direct A/B comparisons. But I will try my best and hope not to incure the rants of all the experts. As you know black is really just the absence of adding light and looking black by comparison to the brighter areas. Thus on a white projection screen, black is really white, it just looks black and you can't get any blacker than the native tone of the screen reflecting any ambient and reflected light not added directly by the equipment.

Therefore what I did was set up the w5001c with black bars on the sides, made sure the blacks in the avia test patern and some misc video material reasonably matched the black in the black bars. Then I masked off the screen so I could just see the black bars (well into the black area). Then with my eyes focuses on the black area I turned off the set and watched for an drop in brightness. With even mild ambient light in the room any drop off was totally non-detect for my eyes. With the the room totaly dark I could barely sense a slight glow that dissappeared when the set went off, but this in my opinion would also be below the threshold of detection if any light from the screen was spilling into the field of vision which would always be the case if watching tv. It is my opinion that the unit is capable of adding no "detectable" light to the dark areas.

To do better I would thing that other units would have to have a darker cold screen to start with and when looking in stores, all the turned off screens look pretty similar to me.

Not very scientific but it is the best I can do.

On a related note I have noticed some contours/pixelation, (I forget the term) in very dark scenes. I am not sure if it is the source material or limitations of the units DAC. I need to get more sources hooked up before I have a good feel for what is going on here, and I don't really know how other plasmas handle this. Can anybody comment on this?

On the Dell web site it says there is a PC digital input. Is there an DVI as well as HDMI? If it's just HDMI have they done something to assure or improve PC connectivity?

There is a standard VGA port and two HDMI ports. The two HMDI ports have two audio connectors next to them in case you have connected a device such as a DVD player to the HDMI connector using a DVI to HDMI adapter cable being that a DVI output would not include an audio signal. The VGA port has next to it, a two channel PC audio input jack.

I have not tested the HDMI connectors as I need 25' cables and those are on order, but I have tested the VGA and PC audio and they seem to work very well.

I noticed that Dell W5001C is being sold at Costco website, shipping and handling are included in the price. Costco members can buy it from there and if you are not happy with the purchase, you can return it at a local Costco store.

I cancelled my Panasonic order and ordered the Dell. It shipped yesterday and I should hopefully have it in the next week or so. Has anyone here who has the Dell hooked it up using HDMI?

i am in the market for plasma. dell is decent pricing and i can get a good deal through dell because of business connections. i was wondering though if you guys know the processing number? is it 10, 12 or 14 bit processing? or how many colors are there that sort of thing? also what are the limitation to input connectivity. i know the website says 480i/p 720p 1080i but does it take native rate well? can it accept higher resolutions through pc input like 1600*1200? thanks for the input. the other competition is the new nec50xr5. i can get a good deal on that one also but i am scared that they have not improved much on the 50 inch model over last year except for connectivity and input availability. thanks
-robert

I cancelled my Panasonic order and ordered the Dell. It shipped yesterday and I should hopefully have it in the next week or so. Has anyone here who has the Dell hooked it up using HDMI?


Also, what size option are you using? Wide, Standard etc..

I verified with Dell on-line sales that the W5001C uses Samsung glass. The remainder of the electronics is sourced from Panasonic and others.

I plan on checking out the Dell at our local mall before making a decision.

I noticed that Dell W5001C is being sold at Costco website, shipping and handling are included in the price. Costco members can buy it from there and if you are not happy with the purchase, you can return it at a local Costco store.

Costco.com also includes a 2 year warranty. Seems a no-brainer to buy it there.

Steve.

i was wondering though if you guys know the processing number? is it 10, 12 or 14 bit processing?

I cannot find this information anywhere either, however I am betting it is 10. I have a projector with an HTPC using a video card with a 10 bit DAC and the contouring looks identical to my eyes. I have no idea where the processing takes place in a plasma. Would there be a DAC on the tuners and a separate video processor for the HDMI inputs, or are these dependant on the device plugged into the digital inputs? Can anybody explain how these work?

i dont know how it works but i called dell and talk to a tech representative who said he did not know the bit processing but said it could only display 16.7 million colors which puts it at 8bit but he could be mistaken since most plasmas these days are 10 or above now.
-rob

Any consensus yet on this set by Dell? Are people liking it and are you glad you got it? Enquiring minds would like to know.

So far so good. I will be keeping mine.

Originally, I thought there was some awful contouring going on, but it turned out to be a source issue (incorrect resolution from my HTPC). Once that was resolved, everything is looking fantastic.

Hockey and football in HD look amazing.

SD television quality is as was expected.

Since I'm sure I'll be asked: I don't have access to an HD 8UK to compare with.

I'll post some pics later...

I have to agree with E39. I love mine as well... and no way it's going anywhere. :D

I finally got HD cable on the weekend and I spent the entire Sunday bouncing from HD channel to HD channel with my jaw hanging open and making the Homer Simpson "drooling" noise. Football was just unbelievable. I have never seen TV like that before. I can only imagine how many more sets the B&M stores would sell if they had a good source that was displaying on a properly configured set (PDP, LCD or others).

I've got the HD box connected through a DVI -> HDMI cable and things seem fine with it. I'm more impressed with the 720p feed than I am with the 1080i... but maybe that's broadcaster dependant. The computer is still hooked up with the VGA cable. I screwed up and thought the HD box was HDMI, so I had to forgo the cable I was going to use with the PC. I'll pick another one of those up soon (or maybe just switch to the HD PVR which has an HDMI connector).

I was worried at first when I got it about the grey/shadow areas and I'm still thinking it probably doesn't handle it as well as some other panels might... but without side by side comparisons who can say for sure. But I have determined it seems to be source dependant... e.g. my Xvids show it a lot more than the DVDs than the HDTV from cable.

My buddies coming to help me install the cables in the wall on Sunday... and for some reason he's timed it for just before the Dallas game starts I'm thinking he's planning on staying for a while. ;)

Hey davivers... hows the install coming? Any more pics yet?

Hey davivers... hows the install coming? Any more pics yet?

No new pictures. My project has come to a halt until after the holidays with so much going on. But even with the plasma in an unfinished steel frame, it is "wowing" everybody who sees it rising up out of the floor. And then when I turn it on they usually wet themselves. (Also, if you search the forum gallery under my user name, there should be pics of my projection theater still out there from when I originally built it. It's 4 years old but I still do my serious watching on the big screen.)

I have to agree with the comment about the source material. Every now and then I stumble upon a picture that is so perfect it blows me away. Perfect deep blacks with no contouring. Sharp brilliant colors, almost 3d depth effect, no motion artifacts, etc. I have seen it in both 1080i and 720p. Surprisingly my local PBS OTA station has some of the best source material I have seen (better than Discovery HD or HDNET over DTV). I really think the set has an excellent ATSC tuner in it, unfortunately I will be using the ATSC tuner in my sat reciever so that I get my program guide information all merged together, at the expense of a very slight drop in PQ.

I have also noticed that one of my three satelite receivers produces a less than black (kind of purple tint) even in the black bars. I would have been totaly freaked if this had been the first one I hooked up and thought it was a limitation of the set.

I am thinking that it is likely that a lot of the stuff we are dwelling on is really source material artifacts. In fact I am guessing that 95% of the source material broadcast or encoded on DVD isn't good enough to challenge most 8th generation plasmas.

I am very happy with the unit so far....

I have a question for you, Davivers (and anyone else who's ordered and received their W5001C)...

Can you tell me about the type of shipping Dell used? Was it UPS / Fedex? Was it a specialized carrier? Did they drop it off curb-side, or help you carry it inside? Did they schedule an appointment with you (with a window of time, obviously) or just show up unannounced?

The reason I ask is that I'm so very, very close to buying this set, but I live in an apartment building on the second floor... and there's no elevator. I'd just like to know everything about delivery so that I can have everything ready to go whenever I finally pull the trigger on this thang.

Thanks for the help, and I'm sorry if my nitpickey questions are a little bit annoying. :)

UPS and/or FedEx can't deliver this. Dell would be nuts to not have specialized handlers of these products.

I have a question for you, Davivers (and anyone else who's ordered and received their W5001C)...

Can you tell me about the type of shipping Dell used? Was it UPS / Fedex? Was it a specialized carrier? Did they drop it off curb-side, or help you carry it inside? Did they schedule an appointment with you (with a window of time, obviously) or just show up unannounced?

The reason I ask is that I'm so very, very close to buying this set, but I live in an apartment building on the second floor... and there's no elevator. I'd just like to know everything about delivery so that I can have everything ready to go whenever I finally pull the trigger on this thang.

Thanks for the help, and I'm sorry if my nitpickey questions are a little bit annoying. :)Hey calim, I'll give you what I know about it.

After reading through the thread on the 42" Dell (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=468403) it was obvious to me that shipping was something to make sure you talk to the sales rep about. A lot of the 42" owners had trouble early on with their deliverys.

According to the dell rep who was posting in that thread, the PDP's are too big to ship with their regular carriers (Purolator, etc.) so they ship with specialty carriers. Who they are depends on where you are. Again, according to the rep, those carriers are supposed to send two people out and are supposed to carry the unit into your home... that's it.

Where I am in Ontario, they used a carrier called Epic Express. I watched my Dell "status" page like a hawk and as soon as I saw it was finished being built etc and at the shipping stage I called Dell back to find out who the carrier was and how to get a hold of them. I work 45 minutes away from my apartment and needed to co-ordinate the delivery.

As soon as I was able to get a hold of the delivery company I confirmed with them that two guys where dropping it off etc. They actually called me back a day later to see if a delivery that evening was ok! (uhhh... ya!) which was great cause I didn't have to take time off work. Apparently this was actually the call they would have made, had I not initiated things first.

One of the delivery guys actually called me during the time window to make sure I was home and would be there. He informed me he was just waiting for the second guy to show up and then they would be over. The truck showed up between 5pm and 9pm (the window I was given)... and there were two guys. I looked in the back of the truck and the order was on a pallet all plastic wrapped up together. I had a total of three boxes, 1 for the plasma, 1 for the speakers and 1 for the wall mount. They cut open the plastic and carried each box in to my apartment (which involves one half-flight of stairs).

One thing to note about the sign off for the delivery. I was so excited that I actually ended up signing the delivery document first... before checking the boxes for damage. :eek: The way it played out was, "we need to see identification that you are the guy who ordered the unit" (they would not allow anyone else to take delivery of the unit) so I showed him my drivers license, he marked it down on the waybill and then handed it to me to sign. It happened so fast it didn't occur to me I was signing off on the "delivery" :eek: Just make sure you get all the boxes in the door and checked before you sign on the line.

So... what does all this rambling really amount to?
delivery is by a specialized carrier
there are supposed to be two guys who carry everything right into your home
contact Dell to get the shipping company contact so you can schedule the delivery time with them
don't sign the sheet until the unit is in your home and you've done an outter inspection for damages etc.
don't eat the yellow snow
don't pee into the wind

Thank you so much for the info, Radiation. Shipping's the thing I've been most worried about, and having you spell out in detail exactly what happened is a *huge* help and reassurance.

Thank you so much for the info, Radiation. Shipping's the thing I've been most worried about, and having you spell out in detail exactly what happened is a *huge* help and reassurance.Hey... no problem. Happy to help. I was wondering if my "detailed" :rolleyes: message was too much.. glad it helps.

Also... just so you know... free shipping was included. ;)

Cheers

Mine came via special carrier also, but just one very old guy showed up with it. When I ordered it the Dell web site said it would take about 3 weeks to ship. But three days later I got an email saying that it had shipped, and then the next day I got a phone call from both Dell and the carrier giving me my delivery window (1-5). I think it was delivered just 7 days after I placed the order.

It was originally shipped with Freight Solutions Providers (www.shipfsp.com). It then appears to have gotten transferred to a local shipper BHFS for delivery. The trucker called me about an hour ahead of delivery and asked me how many steps he might have to navigate. Apparently with just three steps up he decided to go it alone.

Mine came via special carrier also, but just one very old guy showed up with it.
--snip--Well that's a bummer. Did you have to give him a hand or did that very old guy man-handle your 128lb plasma all by himself?

This was a sticking point with lots of the 42" Dell people and was addressed by the rep who posted online that <begin paraphrase>Dell pays the shipping company for two people to deliver it and they wanted to know if/when people were getting deliveries with only one person</end paraphrase>.

Hey guys,

My two week report is that this set is awesome. I'm constantly amazed at how Hi-Def sports look, and my upconverted (ffdshow) DVD's are fantastic as well.

Couldn't be happier.

More to come later...

Is it possible to use DVI connection with the plasma or only VGA is supported with PC?

How about the burn-in effects? Will that be a problem with this generation of plasma?

Is it possible to use DVI connection with the plasma or only VGA is supported with PC?

How about the burn-in effects? Will that be a problem with this generation of plasma?

The display has inputs out the wazoo. It has two HDMI ports, so for my PC I'm using a DVI->HDMI cable. It works great.

Can't say anything about burn-in, other than it hasn't happened yet, and hope it never does.

I finally got the Dell 50" delivered and hooked up Monday. I have it set it up using HDMI from the cable box and the picture is gorgeous on Hd and DVD material(connected with component cables). Regular 4:3 cable looks good but after viewing HD regular cable is not going to compare favorably in my opinion, looks like i will have to watch only HD material :) My only complaint and it is a small one is that the new Dell's zoom feature stretches the image a bit too much, the Dell's zoom feature fills up the screen but sometimes cuts off TV logos and any captioning at the bottom of the screen. For the others that have this TV are you watching standard 4:3 cable using Standard or Zoom mode? If I use standard mode will the grey bars on the side cause burn it? The black levels seem to be perfect and i would say they are just as good as the Panny from what i saw when i looked at the Panny in the stores.

snoop01
I am looking to purchase that 50" dell but will only be using it with ota input. have you had any experience with a ota view?
all other thoughts would be great, since there is no way we could see the TV in person.

(Also, if you search the forum gallery under my user name, there should be pics of my projection theater still out there from when I originally built it. It's 4 years old but I still do my serious watching on the big screen.)

I am very happy with the unit so far....


Hey davivers, how does the DELL PDP compare to your front projection images, ie Mitsubishi HC3000 ? The same, except smaller? Or more vibrant?

Also, would burn-in occur if one watches 4:3 sources in non-wide mode (column mode with two black bars on the side)??

The Dell PQ is technically better than my projector, deeper blacks, better scaler, etc. but I think that is really because of the 4 years difference in technology. However, that said, there is nothing like watching a great movie on a 10' wide screen with big sound. If considering only DVD and HD the slightly better PQ on the plasma is not so much that it out weighs drama of the big screen. On SD interlaced video my projector's scaler has never been good enough for me to watch, but now with my plasma I find some SD very tolerable.

Also


have you had any experience with a ota view?


As I think I mentioned earlier, I think the OTA digital turner is excellent. Better PQ than when I tried the OTA tuners on two different Sat Recievers with builtin OTA running through the component inputs. Neither reciever has HDMI so I could not test if that improved things. I think we concluded earlier that anything coming off the Dell's tuners is probably using 8 bit processing, which originally concerned me and thought that might be causing some contouring that I was occasionally seeing. But like I said earlier, I do occasionally run across a program with a perfect picture and without contouring in the blacks so I don't think it is the Dell or the 8 bit processing.

I finally got the Dell 50" delivered and hooked up Monday. I have it set it up using HDMI from the cable box and the picture is gorgeous on Hd and DVD material(connected with component cables). Regular 4:3 cable looks good but after viewing HD regular cable is not going to compare favorably in my opinion, looks like i will have to watch only HD material :) Congrats snoop01 ! I too have found myself stuck in the HD channels only... everything else just seems :p My only complaint and it is a small one is that the new Dell's zoom feature stretches the image a bit too much, the Dell's zoom feature fills up the screen but sometimes cuts off TV logos and any captioning at the bottom of the screen. For the others that have this TV are you watching standard 4:3 cable using Standard or Zoom mode? If I use standard mode will the grey bars on the side cause burn it?....I flip back a forth between them. I leave it with the side bars at times and zoom in sometimes cause I don't want to take a chance. Although, the more I watch it, the less paranoid I am about the "burn-in". I would say, break it in as described elsewhere here, and I don't think you will have a problem (but zoom from time to time... just in case ;) )

Oh.. and send us pics !

Oh.. and send us pics !


Thanks for the info RADIatiON. Here are some pics of the Dell viewing HD American Choppers, not the best quality but it will give you an idea :) The TV stand is one from bestbuy

bestbuy.com

Thanks for the info RADIatiON. Here are some pics of the Dell viewing HD American Choppers, not the best quality but it will give you an idea :) The TV stand is one from bestbuySweet ! I like that stand. Please PM with the link. I'd like to see if I could find one up here in the great white north.

I notice a little Xbox hidden away there but I don't see his older brother ;) Still waiting for mine to show up... but I do have to finish the renovations first (it is taking so damn long) and then I can sit back and enjoy.

Curious guys.... What is the width of this TV without the speakers? Dimensions of the tv with the speakers is listed on the Dell site as 54.6" x 31.60" x 10.99"

thanks
GUI

Curious guys.... What is the width of this TV without the speakers? Dimensions of the tv with the speakers is listed on the Dell site as 54.6" x 31.60" x 10.99"

thanks
GUI


Here are the approx dimensions.

32" High (this includes the stand) x 48" Long (without speakers)

Here are the approx dimensions.

32" High (this includes the stand) x 48" Long (without speakers)and the dimensions without the stand are: 28.5" x 47.5" ;)

Hey everyone, newbie here. I've enjoyed reading all the posts and have learned a lot. I had been looking at HD TV's for a while and, like everyone else, waiting for the price to come down. Then (darn the luck) my 32" Sony died. Time to pull the trigger.

Initially I was drawn to the 50" Dell because of my good experience with their computers. However, after reading some of the horror stories on the 42" plasma, and the complete lack of a track record on the 50", I ordered the 500U Panasonic from DTVCity instead. They said it would ship in 2 weeks or so, but 10 days go by and I find out they are now backordered until Feb '06. I cancelled that order yesterday.

Back to square one, I'm now reading on this thread that those of you who bought the W5001C are happy with it -- no evidence of any of the problems that beset the early versions of their 42" plasma. I guess no one has any regrets on buying the Dell? Would you recommend it to your friends -- or better yet -- to me?

Just got mine today!!! This one's a keeper. I've tried a few others first (LG, Pioneer, etc.) and this one takes the cake. Had a 3 day ship delay from Dell, no reason given probably back-ordered. They used FSPshipping, who I'm not too impressed with. Had a mix up with the address and then they cop an attitude with me for something that's there fault! (Shipped from Tennesse). Anyway, it's here and ALL good!

One thing that really displeased me about the other plasmas, is the speaker sound. This one blows them away! It's not tingy, but has full, deep bass and clear trebles. Very surprised with how well the sound is. Picture is wonderful. Very comparable to the Panny. Does standard definition way better than any other I've seen. And it actually has picture depth. (I was getting a little dizzy when sitting close).

Only complaints are pretty similar to the others here. The remote is weak, need to point directly and not very far away. (But I've got my MX-850 that takes care of that problem!) And the set up of the picture settings was tedious. I didn't care for any of the preset picture settings they had.

Very happy with the purchase. I recommend this to anyone who is on the plasma-goose-chase like I was. And the price is even better now than it was when I got it a week ago!
:p

For those that have purchased the W5001C - how reflective is the screen material? I'm considering purchasing one of these to go in the family room of my new house, and it has huge windows. Will the Dell Plasma be viewable under these conditions, or should I be considering FP LCD or LCD/SXRD RPTV?

Thanks!

Sean.

It is regular glass, it is not matte. I have it in a room with almost a full wall of south glass, and the clearstory has no shades above 8' so sometimes direct sun can fall on the glass. I had previously a 32" Sony CRT in the room and could not see it at all on a sunny afternoon. The plasma is very watchable on bright sunny days with the bightness set only to 39%. However when the sun actually hits the screen directly it is difficult to see.

Happy to see that you also like your new set spascat!!! I ordered mine today and should be here in about 10 days or so :cool: Actually the sales guy told me that they're in a 3 day turnaround timeframe for this unit as we speak. Can't wait. This thread was really helpful especially that I could not see it before buying. I made sure to have the 30 day full money back warranty in case I don't like it.......but something tells me I won't have to use it.... Time will tell! :rolleyes:

Cheers!

greetings, this being my first post I would like to thank all the members for their keen observations. I thought purchasing a new tv would be an easy task.......but no..I had to stumble upon the avs forum. after several visits to the big block stores the only sure thing was that our next tv was to be a 50" plasma. over 100+ hrs digesting the wisdom of this forum, probably another 1/2 of that in the stores, I along wy/ my wife have concluded our search to the dell w5001c. the dell has all the features that we required. only exception that i had was the lack of the cablecard feature however, i have yet to see any positive response about the card only hassles. warranty was my wifes worry......but costco's return policy quickly erased her fear. although it comes with a 2 yr dell warranty, i believe more in costco. also free delv was a plus.............but now costco adds a price drop on the w5001c..............hunting game over........a new dell w5001c on the way................thanks all

Does anyone know if the W5001C has 3:2 pulldown? I don't see it listed in any of the specs, but maybe I'm missing something.

I believe 3:2 pulldown is part of the DNX by Pixelworks.

hardd1

I would be interested your thoughts once you get the tv set up...i'm still in this mind craze of looking for the best 50" for the money.

I have some more pics. Sorry they aren't any better. Having a real tough time keeping the camera steady and it's too dark now to take pics without the flash... but some of you might like it.
http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/5719/plasma010s7ar.th.jpg (http://img520.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plasma010s7ar.jpg) http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/7391/plasma011s8hu.th.jpg (http://img520.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plasma011s8hu.jpg) http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/138/plasma013s4px.th.jpg (http://img520.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plasma013s4px.jpg)


Heya RADIatiON,

I've been meaning (meeeeeening? :) ) to ask, how did you setup the main Meedio icons you're using? Did you download them from somewhere else? If so, please let me know! I've been using the Hauclo (or whatever they're called) photo icons and want a change.

hardd1

I would be interested your thoughts once you get the tv set up...i'm still in this mind craze of looking for the best 50" for the money.
okie dokie.......i will give my opinion when the unit arrives.................now, another hunt for a stand that meets my wifes picky criteria...oh yeah,...back to the big box stores....yippee

I believe 3:2 pulldown is part of the DNX by Pixelworks.


I have seen this term before, what exactly is a 3:2 pulldown?

I have seen this term before, what exactly is a 3:2 pulldown?Hey snoop01... here (http://www.dvdfile.com/news/special_report/production_a_z/3_2_pulldown.htm) is a really good explination of it. (I actually just googled "what is 3:2 pulldown" and it came up with some great links).

Heya RADIatiON,

I've been meaning (meeeeeening? ) to ask, how did you setup the main Meedio icons you're using? Did you download them from somewhere else? If so, please let me know! I've been using the Hauclo (or whatever they're called) photo icons and want a change.Those are the "threedee" icons that were referenced within the HDeeTV theme FAQ. You should be able to find them in this thread (http://www.meedio.com/forum/about22104.html&highlight=threedee) on the Meedio site.

And to spascat, GUIMAN and hardd1... welcome to the club! Official membership cards and the club "high-sign" to identify members from the regular riff-raft will be sent to you shortly. ;) (ok... before you check your mailboxes... that was a joke... not the "welcome to the club"... that was legit... the other thing... oh never mind).

I couldn't resist...

the features and pricepoint on this set made me pull the trigger...Extended warranty courtesy of my gold card, and a business contact at Dell that treats me like a king since I work for a major customer of his...

Even a base Panny 50...8UK was 10% more...and that was without the HDMI inputs (another 10% more) and the other conectivity options....

Compared to consumer offerings the W5001C was 20-30% less with the current promotion Dell Canada is running....huge price drop and free shipping...

For the other Canadians...how long did delivery take for you?? I was told 3-5 business days plus up to another 3 days for the border?

I couldn't resist...

the features and pricepoint on this set made me pull the trigger...Extended warranty courtesy of my gold card, and a business contact at Dell that treats me like a king since I work for a major customer of his...

Even a base Panny 50...8UK was 10% more...and that was without the HDMI inputs (another 10% more) and the other conectivity options....

Compared to consumer offerings the W5001C was 20-30% less with the current promotion Dell Canada is running....huge price drop and free shipping...

For the other Canadians...how long did delivery take for you?? I was told 3-5 business days plus up to another 3 days for the border?

Features and pricepoint do not add up to PQ.

For the other Canadians...how long did delivery take for you?? I was told 3-5 business days plus up to another 3 days for the border?

It took just less than two weeks to get to this side of Canada.

Features and pricepoint do not add up to PQ.

Can you tell us what problems you had with the picture quality of the fifty inch model?

While you are at it, it would be super if you could tell us the source, connection and video material you were using.

Those are the "threedee" icons that were referenced within the HDeeTV theme FAQ. You should be able to find them in this thread (http://www.meedio.com/forum/about22104.html&highlight=threedee) on the Meedio site.

Thank you sir!

Features and pricepoint do not add up to PQ.

I have seen more people giving subjective positive reviews on the PQ of this set than subjective negative reviews...

come to think of it the only negative views were from people who had never seen this set or provided no information on where their negative comments were based from...

Sorry...that's not entirely true...I did see one person who didn't like the PQ after viewing the set on a couple of sources....but no information given about the setup of the set, if any tweaking was attempted, how long it had been on display and if it had already been monkeyed with etc....

You may also note, that features and pricepoint also don't add up to poor PQ necessarily either...

I have seen more people giving subjective positive reviews on the PQ of this set than subjective negative reviews...

come to think of it the only negative views were from people who had never seen this set or provided no information on where their negative comments were based from...

Sorry...that's not entirely true...I did see one person who didn't like the PQ after viewing the set on a couple of sources....but no information given about the setup of the set, if any tweaking was attempted, how long it had been on display and if it had already been monkeyed with etc....

You may also note, that features and pricepoint also don't add up to poor PQ necessarily either...

Bottom line here... It does NOT say panasonic on the panel. I mean how can you expect fan boys to actually look at a non-panasonic panel?

On to a more serious matter...my question is anyone who actually owns this panel, please give me your most honest opinion about the PQ. I'm thinking of either getting this plasma or the 65" 1080p HP DLP since they're both in the same price range. TIA

On to a more serious matter...my question is anyone who actually owns this panel, please give me your most honest opinion about the PQ. I'm thinking of either getting this plasma or the 65" 1080p HP DLP since they're both in the same price range. TIA

A bit more from me... I can't imagine how sports in High-Def could be better on another panel. Perfect for football and hockey.

Nice.... Hockey is a good test as well....high contrast black puck on bright white ice moving at good speeds...

I was very interested in the HP 1080P DLP, but I was unable to find a Canadian retailer...

I can't wait to get my Dell.....getting so sick of watching TV on the small screen....I miss HDTV....

I'll be doing a fair bit of plasma tweaking over the coming weeks though...I just helped my parents set up their Panny 42" ED plasma tonight....next step is to get them some real cabling....although the set looked not too bad all things considered.....basic SD satellite box fed through CHEAP ghetto-grade composite cables...

For those who'd like to save a chunk of cash, Dell have just introduced a revamped 42" (the W4201C) to match the 50". Much improved brightness and contrast ratio and 2 HDMI inputs seem to be the big changes.

Should probably get one of each :)

Steve.

It's nice to read the anecdotal reviews on this thread for the W5001C, and it all sounds good. Still, I'd really like to read published reviews of the product and can't find any. CNET has no review, and only 3 user comments. Where else might I find a complete review?

Better yet, where can I find a comparison of PQ and features between the Panny 50" consumer models and the Dell? The only thing holding me back now is the existence of any actual reviews other than from members here. I had my mind set on a Panny, but this Dell seems like a better overall buy and competitive in quality too, if I'm to believe what I read.

Any suggestions on what else I could read to convince me to go with a Dell and not a Panny?

I take the reviews on CNet with not just a grain of salt..but rather a shaker full...the review dates were before people actually had the units inhand for test....

Bottom line here... It does NOT say panasonic on the panel. I mean how can you expect fan boys to actually look at a non-panasonic panel?

On to a more serious matter...my question is anyone who actually owns this panel, please give me your most honest opinion about the PQ. I'm thinking of either getting this plasma or the 65" 1080p HP DLP since they're both in the same price range. TIA


I have been extremely happy with the PQ on this set so far. HD content is jaw dropping as well as DVD material. Standard cable is good but as I said in an earlier post after looking at HD content the Standard cable signal on any display is not going to look amazing. I had actually ordered the Panansonic 50" but due to the long back order time for the panny and the nice price on the Dell i cancelled the Panny order. My two cents is if you can afford to get a 50" panel I would definately put the Dell 50" on your list. Feel free to PM me if you need more info.

What kind of warranty did you guys buy? I see they have some up to 5 years... it's expensive but available.

In the spirit of xmas, I'm gifting a coupon to this thread. Not sure what the policy is on this here.. but here is a Dellf coupon for $400 off. It doesn't stack with the $300 they are naturally giving, so it's really only worth an extra $100. One time use, use by 12/21/05. Post if you use it.

$QQQJLQCX0C00J

Happy Holidays to AVS members...

Initially I was drawn to the 50" Dell because of my good experience with their computers. However, after reading some of the horror stories on the 42" plasma, and the complete lack of a track record on the 50",


is the 42" one being referred to the older EDTV one or the newer HDTV plasma? thanks

is the 42" one being referred to the older EDTV one or the newer HDTV plasma? thanks


The 42" referred to here is the w4200HD. There were some issues with the orginal firmware on the display. They were corrected with a firmware update that Dell techs had to come and load onto the display.

the 4201 is the new model and is only just now showing up on the Dell sites....

the reviews were from the earlier 4200 model

For the folks that have gotten this display setup. Have you used AVIA or Digital Video Essentials to calibrate it? If so what settings are you using for brightness, contrast, etc?

What kind of warranty did you guys buy? I see they have some up to 5 years... it's expensive but available.


I did not get the extended warranty. However, after the purchase you can purchase the extended warranty through Dell up to 21 days after the purchase date. I think i am going to go with an additional 2 year warranty but was also looking at a warranty from Repair Master.

Does anyone here know if the Repair Master warranties cover the Dell displays?

I have so far just stuck with the 1 yr extension from my Gold MasterCard....

The 42" referred to here is the w4200HD. There were some issues with the orginal firmware on the display. They were corrected with a firmware update that Dell techs had to come and load onto the display.


thanks. so the new one has the updated firmware or are people still skeptical to pick this up? I can't see there being that much of a difference between the 42" and 50". The 50" would be too big for my apartment and I've been looking into a Panny plasma or other brand LCD, but keep hearing this and that about problems people have had and so on. I don't have a huge living room and I'm afraid that any tv I get (other than a 300 pound crt) is going to look pixelated or blurry from 10' or less.

thanks. so the new one has the updated firmware or are people still skeptical to pick this up?

No, the W4201C is a replacement model for the W4200HD that had the problems. It has improved brightness and contrast, plus 2 HDMI inputs. How much of the previous model is carried over, I can't say.

Steve.

No, the W4201C is a replacement model for the W4200HD that had the problems. It has improved brightness and contrast, plus 2 HDMI inputs. How much of the previous model is carried over, I can't say.

Steve.

gotcha thanks. the more and more I read from the FAQs at this site, the more I realize how wrong I had everything. I thought the higher the contrast ratio or whatever (e.g. 1366x768) then the better the picture, but I'm seeing that's not the case. Also, what would the IRE's be on these Dells? What about the lcd compared to this? The price is so much better than similar out of stock pannys that I'm really considering getting the 42" plasma or 37" Lcd soon.

gotcha thanks. the more and more I read from the FAQs at this site, the more I realize how wrong I had everything. I thought the higher the contrast ratio or whatever (e.g. 1366x768) then the better the picture, but I'm seeing that's not the case.

Actually, you're gonna have to tweak your knowledge a bit more :) What you quoted was a screen resolution, not a contrast ratio. The native screen resolution on the 41" is 1024x768, on the 50" it's 1366x768. The contrast ratio is 10000:1 on the 42", 8000:1 on the 50". The Dell LCDs are generally 1366x768 resolution with a MUCH lower contrast ratio.

And, in general, it's true that the higher the resolution or contrast ratio, the better the picture. Though things can get a bit dodgy when comparing plasma and LCD screens.

Steve.

P.S. Try googling:

define: contrast ratio
define: screen resolution

thanks. so the new one has the updated firmware or are people still skeptical to pick this up? I can't see there being that much of a difference between the 42" and 50". The 50" would be too big for my apartment and I've been looking into a Panny plasma or other brand LCD, but keep hearing this and that about problems people have had and so on. I don't have a huge living room and I'm afraid that any tv I get (other than a 300 pound crt) is going to look pixelated or blurry from 10' or less.


In general it has been said that if you can afford the bigger screen get it. I too was going to get a 42" but am very happy that i went with the 50". When determining what size panel to get you should also take into consideration how far away you will be sitting to view the display. I sit approx 8-9 feet from the 50" and it is a perfect fit.

Congrats on your purchase. This plasma seems too good to pass for the price and features.
Some questions if you don't mind
1) How does this compare to panny hd? any false contouring or clayface artifacts? Are they comparable or more or less than panny?
2) Do you know how many colours it can display 16 million or 3 billion?

I have been following these threads for a couple weeks now and have finally had an opportunity to see the dell 50" in person. It was through 2 feeds from Comcast, HD ESPN and standard cable (CNN Channel). Seattle Kiosk location...actually the comcast Kiosk using the 50" dell.

I would say that I was very pleased with what I have seen. Now granted, alot of these sets its hard to compare vs. other brands if you dont have them side by side. But, with opportunity for this everyhtin glooked real good. I probably sat there for about an hour just to try and pick up as much as possible, ie different colors and different shows.

The HD picture (HD ESPN) was great and the standard cable (CNN) was good as expected.

This is what I needed to validate my purchase. I couldnt feel comfortable prior to seeing the set. How could one pay that amount of money on something without validation. I will be making the jump in the next couple weeks. still trying to get the $500 off gift from the dell xmas game, I have only received the $400 discount thus far...but I still have some days of playing to receive that extra hundo.

Let me know if you have any questions from my personal view.

I know that you guys probably don't care all that much about it, but I'm so excited that I need to share my news: my TV is getting delivered today between 1 and 5. :D

I know that you guys probably don't care all that much about it, but I'm so excited that I need to share my news: my TV is getting delivered today between 1 and 5. :D

Great to hear. It will be one busy weekend for you my friend :D. I still have to wait a few days for mine :( .... what date did you do your order? Are you in Canada or the US? (just trying to compare with my timelines)

Thanks and enjoy your afternoon.... I'm sure you will.

Great to hear. It will be one busy weekend for you my friend :D. I still have to wait a few days for mine :( .... what date did you do your order? Are you in Canada or the US? (just trying to compare with my timelines)

I placed the order on the 6th, and I'm in the US (Connecticut). I've already warned my girlfriend to expect a night of fiddling, adjusting, tinkering, and configuring. She'll be lucky if she gets to watch 10 minutes of one program.

Could anyone post or describe the 4:3 stretch modes available on this set. Is there anything comparable to the "Just" mode on the Panny's? (stretch edges more than the center) Also, can you stretch 4:3 HD content?

I know that you guys probably don't care all that much about it, but I'm so excited that I need to share my news: my TV is getting delivered today between 1 and 5. :DI know exactly how you feel... I could not wait for mine.
Please give us your thoughts when you get a chance (plus it's good for you to "get it all out" ;) )

Could anyone post or describe the 4:3 stretch modes available on this set. Is there anything comparable to the "Just" mode on the Panny's? (stretch edges more than the center) Also, can you stretch 4:3 HD content?I can't comment on the "just" mode... never seen it. Although I did notice that the "Zoom" which I do on 4:3 content (regardless of HD or not) seemed to have more zoom in the middle than the sides. I saw something move across the screen from one side to the other.. I think it was a sports ticker or something... and it seemed to "ramp up" as it came to the center and then out again. Maybe someone else with the set can comment as well.

Congrats on your purchase. This plasma seems too good to pass for the price and features.
Some questions if you don't mind
1) How does this compare to panny hd? any false contouring or clayface artifacts? Are they comparable or more or less than panny?
2) Do you know how many colours it can display 16 million or 3 billion?
dunno... hard to say as I don't have a panny to compare it too and I don't trust the B&M "settings". I haven't noticed any clayface stuff... but maybe that's just me. lots ;) Seriously, I have no idea.

I placed the order on the 6th, and I'm in the US (Connecticut). I've already warned my girlfriend to expect a night of fiddling, adjusting, tinkering, and configuring. She'll be lucky if she gets to watch 10 minutes of one program.Most women would absolutely love a night like that... oh wait... you meant with the TV ! ;)

I know exactly how you feel... I could not wait for mine.
Please give us your thoughts when you get a chance (plus it's good for you to "get it all out" ;) )

I can't comment on the "just" mode... never seen it. Although I did notice that the "Zoom" which I do on 4:3 content (regardless of HD or not) seemed to have more zoom in the middle than the sides. I saw something move across the screen from one side to the other.. I think it was a sports ticker or something... and it seemed to "ramp up" as it came to the center and then out again. Maybe someone else with the set can comment as well.


dunno... hard to say as I don't have a panny to compare it too and I don't trust the B&M "settings". I haven't noticed any clayface stuff... but maybe that's just me. lots ;) Seriously, I have no idea.

Thanks.
Just pulled the trigger on W4201C. Its loaded with features. Could not resist the price :)

This TV uses DNX from Pixelworks for it's image processing (http://www.pixelworks.com). CLick on the "Get DNX" link for a detail about all the cool things it does.

RADIatiON - What you saw was an advanced zoom which, to minimize the impact on the overall picture, stretches the edges more than the middle. This way there is less distortion on the main part of the screen. It assumes that the stuff you really want to see is closer to the middle. Overall, I think it's better than stretching the whole picture....

Rich

RADIatiON,

You're not too far from me...how long did it take for Dell to get your set to you?

I only ordered on Monday and I'm already getting anxious lol... :o

I have a Dell w5001c for a month now, it was my first HDTV. I have an HD PVR to record all the HD shows. I have a separate surround sound system so I don't use the Dell speakers at all. I am using Component (Y,C,B) to connect from the Sci Explorer 8300 to the TV. Eventually I'll get HDMI cable when I find one cheap.

Watching shows done right (like all the CSI in 1080i) are excellent, shows like Jay Leno and Letterman are also excellent. You can see every pour on people's faces. Same with sports like Monday night football (you can see the blades of grass, you can read the player's lips, see their eyes and grass stains on their uniforms) and hockey is quite good. DVD's look great. So when I talk about something being "grainy" it's a subtle effect, not like the entire picture is horrid.

Other HD shows look like upconverts or grainy like film (like converted from film)
HBO/TMN's Rome was pretty good. Sleeper Cell is sort of grainy on the other hand. Some shows source material just isn't that great or has color effects?
Law and Order is often grey and grainy. But that seems to be the nature of how they filmed it. They want it to look dark like New York or whatever?
Is that a similar effect for all HDTV users? I am sort of expecting all shows to look like CSI I guess. Lost and Alias are good but not like CSI. Grey's Anatomy is ok. ER is grainier in spots. My name is Earl and The Office are ok too. Is it because they aren't in 1080i?

I am curious what users are using for your "Personal" settings for brightness/contrast and other things. When I first got the set, I turned everything down to lower brightness and contrast and even then it was quite good. But now I am turning things back up.

Dell has 4 preset "PICT" settings, (Movies (darker), Sports (high contrast), Weak Signal and Multimedia (computer contrast) and also "Personal" for which the set will remember the settings for you for each type input you have.

I am finding that when I change settings on the fly to cycle through the various settings, when going back to "Personal" it reset the Color Temperature to "BLUE" every time. I have to manually change it to "Natural or Normal".


The blacks:
initially I left everything at default and lowered Brightness and contrast while watching things and even then it was quite good, except in dark scenes, there was some pixellation on the details in the dark

Brightness: 48 (sometimes 45)
Contrast: 42
Sharpness: 4 (this doesn't seem to affect HD much, it does affect normal TV )
Color Temperature: Natural (Normal,Blue, Red are the other options)
Color Tint: 50
Color Saturation: 50

I've been experimenting with
Brightness: 58
Contrast: 44
Sharpness: 4 (this doesn't seem to affect HD much, it does affect normal TV )
Color Temperature: Natural
Color Tint: 50
Color Saturation: 52

Now this makes the set brighter (I am in a room with windows all over one side) yet when dark scenes come on, the details in the dark don't get pixellated or go completely black. Yet you can see the "brightness" because there are dark green bars at the top or sides where there is no content. (is that signal noise?)
(No there isn't burn in because other content doesn't show it, and if you turn off the cable box and have no signal, the screen is perfectly clear black)

I am curious what others have their settings at.

I think it is a great TV for the $$$, looks quite good for variety of content, has lots of inputs and flexibility.

Derek

RADIatiON,

You're not too far from me...how long did it take for Dell to get your set to you?

I only ordered on Monday and I'm already getting anxious lol... :oI ordered my set in the evening on Wed. October 26th and took delivery on Wed. November 9th. That was 2 "calendar" weeks, but he did say to me 7 to 10 business days. I think the time has been cut down now though.

Lots to do in the meantime CPersyn.. get your cables, new furniture, figure out the mounting if you're doing that, get HD service, bulk popcorn and pop ;)

@Derek_canada
Thanks for your thoughts. That pretty much reflects my thoughts too. I watched CSI in HD for the first time last week and couldn't believe how good it looked and then was sooo disappointed flipping back to regular SD stuff :p
RADIatiON - What you saw was an advanced zoom which, to minimize the impact on the overall picture, stretches the edges more than the middle. This way there is less distortion on the main part of the screen. It assumes that the stuff you really want to see is closer to the middle. Overall, I think it's better than stretching the whole picture....Cool! Now I don't have to learn anything more today... quota is filled :D

I've had an Expressvu 9200 since August when we got our new house..didn't expect it would take this long to find our new set...

Ihad previously owned a Toshiba 57HX81, and its image quality made it hard fro me to accept most of what was out there to offer...

Temporary furniture is already in place...I'm working on building the permanent table now...

i'm going to just stick with my existing home theater setup (Denon 3802, Denon DVD1600(might upgrade), B&W 600s3 speakers, Tributaries cables)...I was going to wall mount..but after reviewing the table design, I may just use the stand instead of wall mounting....makes the install easier and cleaner in this instance as well...

Popcorn is ready...and pop is nasty stuff...lots of water, liquor and beer ready to go lol...

I've been putting off the purchase so long waiting for Plasma prices to drop that I have pretty much everything ready....the only reason that the table wasn't built yet was that there was still a chance I was going to go back to a RP CRT (Pioneer Elite Pro630HD) in which case i'd have used my existing audio rack...

Sounds like I'll be cutting it close wtih Christmas....oh well....here's to hoping it arrives in time

But radiation I'm talking about other HD content not being as good as CSI.

I ignore SD content, don't even care about it anymore.

I just wonder if everyone else also experiences that HD is not created equal.

HD from europe (like BBC stuff or PBS stuff ) is also different.

But radiation I'm talking about other HD content not being as good as CSI.Sorry I wasn't more clear. I too agree that CSI seems to be the best HD program I have seen (excluding sports).

I have noticed a lot of differences from one HD program to the next. I really noticed it with football the first day I had it... Fox's coverage seemed O.M.G. ! while the others were just Holy Crap! ;) So I am in agreement with your observation...

Why it is that way I don't kno, but I guess it's comparable to one film being visually stunning and clean and then others not so much.

Clear? as mud? :)

It could have to do with the source, but often it has to do with how much compression your Cable or Satellite provider is doing. While both shows may be broadcast at the same resolution (1080i or 720p) they are often compressed differently by your provider. The most widely watched events, like the Superbowl, are often the best looking because they are compressed the least.

Rich

Which is also why it may be better to use the OTA tuner instead of cable or satellite feeds..as the OTA signal doesn't suffer from the same compression...

Canada doesn't have much OTA unless you are near the U.S. border.

Ottawa and Toronto have been doing some broadcasting..not sure about other areas...

i'm fortunate enough to live basically right on the Canada US border witha clear line of sight to the broadcast locations for all the Detroit stations....might even be able to pull some toledo :D

I had my first serious issue with the Dell yesterday. Normally if you put your ear near the back there is a high frequency hum. No big deal as you can't hear it from more than a couple feet away unless the room is very quiet. But while watching it last night the hum suddenly became very loud, so that you could hear it from about 10 feet away over the normal volume. The frequency of the hum varied with the brightness of the screen. The brighter the scene the higher the freq of the hum. Any scene change caused a noticable change in the freq. I switched from the sat input to the built in atsc tuner but no change still a loud hum. I changed channels, turned the volume all the way down, tried mute, nothing. The hum was coming from the same place in the back of the set where the normaly quiet hum can be heard. In a panic I turned the set off and then back on and it was back to normal. I had it on for about 5 hours tonight but no return of the hum.

Anybody else experience this.

Log a serviec ticket with Dell via email for traceability...

I do the same with my vehicles...when there is an issue..even minor, I get it noted on the vehicle's service record...so that if it pops up again (even outside of warranty) there is a record that it was reported within the warranty (or in this case possible exchange) period...

Anybody else experience this.

None here...

Is it an issue for any of you Dell 50" owners that there is no "user" color temperateure setting and also that there is no Tint and Saturation/Color adjustement available on the HDMI inputs? Seems taht adjustment is limited. Thx.

Is it an issue for any of you Dell 50" owners that there is no "user" color temperateure setting and also that there is no Tint and Saturation/Color adjustement available on the HDMI inputs? Seems taht adjustment is limited. Thx.

From the Dell 4200HD FAQ thread on this forum:

"Please note that many newcomers to "digital" signals like HDMI or DVI often complain about a lack of "tint" or "saturation" controls for the digital video inputs. However, it is critical to understand that 'tint' and 'saturation' controls are based on manipulate of the phase of analog video signals. Because these signals are no longer carried analog, the need for adjustment to signal phase to correct the image quality is moot. In theory, digital signals should only need brightness and contrast adjustment along with Red, Green and Blue gain adjustment to achieve a properly calibrated picture."

Steve.

I had my first serious issue with the Dell yesterday. Normally if you put your ear near the back there is a high frequency hum. No big deal as you can't hear it from more than a couple feet away unless the room is very quiet. But while watching it last night the hum suddenly became very loud, so that you could hear it from about 10 feet away over the normal volume. The frequency of the hum varied with the brightness of the screen. The brighter the scene the higher the freq of the hum. Any scene change caused a noticable change in the freq. I switched from the sat input to the built in atsc tuner but no change still a loud hum. I changed channels, turned the volume all the way down, tried mute, nothing. The hum was coming from the same place in the back of the set where the normaly quiet hum can be heard. In a panic I turned the set off and then back on and it was back to normal. I had it on for about 5 hours tonight but no return of the hum.

Anybody else experience this.

Wow! Now I am starting to worry about this unit. How long have you had the TV for? have you been playing it a lot? these problems might start after certain amount of usage. I will pay close attention to that when I get mine and report back here if I notice anything. Keep us updated. It would be interesting to see if Dell support has received other calls regarding this problem and what they are doing about it. Is this the same noise as the older 42 inch Dell model?

Cheers,

WOW...that's a fast delivery...Ordered Monday...delivering this afternoon! :o

From the Dell 4200HD FAQ thread on this forum:

"Please note that many newcomers to "digital" signals like HDMI or DVI often complain about a lack of "tint" or "saturation" controls for the digital video inputs. However, it is critical to understand that 'tint' and 'saturation' controls are based on manipulate of the phase of analog video signals. Because these signals are no longer carried analog, the need for adjustment to signal phase to correct the image quality is moot. In theory, digital signals should only need brightness and contrast adjustment along with Red, Green and Blue gain adjustment to achieve a properly calibrated picture."

Steve.

Yes I've read the FAQ and I'm not a newcomer to digital signals. I know in "theory" what you say is correct. The main issue I am noticing is that the HDMI seems to also have no RGB adjustment (ie: no USER color temp setting). Has that been caused difficulties for any Dell owners? Thx!

guys maybe he bought it because its a sams club tv meaning good return policy?

When you get a chance, fellow W5001C owners, could you share the picture settings you're using? Right now, after having calibrated my set with AVIA, I wound up with:

Brightness: 46
Contrast: 32
Sharpness: 6
Color Temperature Thingie: Natural
Color Hue: 49
Color Saturation: 49

Also, on another note... what do DVDs look like for you guys? Do you notice any weirdness in dark areas? Does this weirdness go away when you watch a true HD signal?

Thanks :)

calim, when I had my settings similar to yours (lower brightness and contrast)
yes I noticed "wierdness" in the background dark areas. (not where the camera was focused)

And watching true HD sources, this was not as apparent and it "went away" in some ways. It just depended on the scene and source.

I'm trying to find that happy medium in the settings that works for all content.

hmm

Went to the mall over here in Brandon, FL today and they had the new 42" HD plasma and 50" plasma at the dell kiosk...the guy said just an analog signal(I think svideo from the PC) was running on it and it looked pretty good. Not HD of course, but not worse than my tube tv right now either. I might go back tomorrow and bring one of the 720p/1080i wmv9hd clips on a thumb drive and see if they'll hook it up via VGA and set the res properly. This set looks great so far tho!

Edit: actually the plasma doesnt have VGA right? maybe I'll see if they have a DVI->HDMI cable :rolleyes:

the 50" most definitely has VGA in....

Got everything hooked up and running this afternoon...looks great so far...limited HD viewing as I need to get my HD pack enabled from my satellite provider...but the Giants v Chiefs game looked great on the CBS OTA feed with my 20 yr old bunny ear antenna...

upconverted Satellite feeds have looked fantastic so far...

Watched Kingdom of Heaven tonight on my Denon DVD-1600 progessive DVD player passed via Tributaries component cables and it looked great...a couple scenes were so-so...but that could be the compression on the disk, could be the player..could be my half-baked quick effort at setup...

I'll be giving it plenty more NFL football tomorrow as well as auditioning other DVD material...

Overall i'm impressed so far...factor in the price and I'd do it again in a heartbeat...

How's the viewing angle on these? Is it clear from the sides?

actually the plasma doesnt have VGA right? maybe I'll see if they have a DVI->HDMI cable :rolleyes:

I have been using the VGA input with an HTPC until I can get the HDMI cables installed for use with a dedicated DVD player. The unit makes a great computer monitor, for surfing and playing computer games, and of course playing DVD's. I am getting an excellent picture from the VGA port but I do have a couple of comments that may be of interest.

The VGA port is accompanied by a standard two channel line in jack to pull pc audio if you are using the plasma's on board audio/amplifier. All the video inputs have adjacent audio stereo input. For example the components each have a L and R RCA style jack. The exception is the HDMI inputs which you wouldn't think wouldn't need any audio inputs jacks, share a L and R RCA input for use of a DVI to HDMI adapter which of course would not carry audio. There does not appear to be any way to switch/mix the audio source with the video source other than the way they are set up. That is you could not use the VGA video with the audio inputs on the component video input.

The audio gain on all the inputs that I have tried, component and VGA (have not tried HDMI yet), is substantially lower than the audio gain on the on board tuners. This creates quit a shock when swithing from any input port to the tuners if you don't turn the sound down about 35% first. I have tried this with two different sat recievers, DVD player, computer sound card tuned to the max, and xbox.

Besides the mismatch with the on board tuners, it is my opinion that the gain is just too low, because for comfortable listening in a average room I am at about 70-75% full volume off the ports and when running off the onboard tuners I am running about 40-45%. That means little head room on the ports for when you do need to crank it up, and it probably giving me a poor S/N ratio.

When I ordered it I was not planning on using the on board audio, but was so pleased by the quality of the sound and the speakers, and the simplicity of using the TV for switching sources instead of an A/V reciever, that I decided to go with it. I will easily solve the mismatch by moving my OTA HD reception to my OTA+Sat reciever and abandoning the on board tuners as I had originally planned, but the low gain problem may make me rethink the need for a separate A/V reciever.

Anybody else think this is an issue?

Viewing angle is excellent, I can see the entire screen as consistent from the side (like more than 45 degrees)

It looks great from any angle, but I think that is just the nature of plasma technology vs LCD not because it is a Dell.


I am still curious what other's brightness and contrast settings are.

Derek

Somebody earlier asked about PIPing the VGA port but I cannot find the post, possibly another thread. I just got around to testing this today.

I cannot do PIP with any combination that includes the VGA port.

However, I did not test trying different scan rates or resolutions. Has anyone had any success with PIPing or POPing VGA video?

Thanks.
Just pulled the trigger on W4201C. Its loaded with features. Could not resist the price :)

Cancelled the order. I Had second thoughts because I have not seen many reviews for this one yet. It would be wise to wait to hear more reviews before spending $$$$

I also wanted to wait for las vegas show next month when manufacturers announce new models. Maybe a wrong thread to post this, but I was impressed by Sony 50 inch SXRD model. I will wait for a month to find out if 42 inch SXRD is in pipeline

:confused: :confused: :confused:

I think I've figured out what it is I'm seeing: posterization. This is my first HDTV, so I'm not too familiar with all the terminology, but from what I've read and seen of the description of posterization, it seems to match exactly what it is that jumps out at me.

Just got my w5001c today. Got it hooked up to a Samsung HD850 via HDMI. DVDs look outstanding. I don't have cable in my area yet (new subdivision) but the OTA signals are pretty good. So far so good. :D

...but I'm still waiting: anyone know yet who makes the panel for Dell? And how it compares to the 50" panny panels? The latter were what I was planning on, but if the Dell is close, for the price, I would certainly consider it. (Current price for the Panny consumer 50" is ~$6k! vs Boxing week Dell of ~$3.7, I think).

I think I've figured out what it is I'm seeing: posterization. This is my first HDTV, so I'm not too familiar with all the terminology, but from what I've read and seen of the description of posterization, it seems to match exactly what it is that jumps out at me.

I'm seeing the same thing. I'm using Component cables (waiting to get an HDMI cable). How can we know if this is the TV or the source?

Rich

I'm seeing the same thing. I'm using Component cables (waiting to get an HDMI cable). How can we know if this is the TV or the source?

Rich

I got the same findings, same setup and same question

I've noticed it in certain scenes on some DVD's...but not to a huge extent...less than what I witnessed when auditioning RP Microdisplays...

on HD feeds, especially sports, the set is stellar...

Considering the difference in price to step to the next available option, or the tradeoffs I'd be looking at and compromises in image quality I'd be saddled with to go to a comprably priced RP set (after having my purchase price adjusted to the boxing week sale price) I couldn't be happier with the set...

...but I'm still waiting: anyone know yet who makes the panel for Dell? And how it compares to the 50" panny panels? The latter were what I was planning on, but if the Dell is close, for the price, I would certainly consider it. (Current price for the Panny consumer 50" is ~$6k! vs Boxing week Dell of ~$3.7, I think).


I was in your same position when i purchased my Dell TV. I purchased the Panasonic originally but the set was back ordered until the end of Dec, I ordered the TV on Nov 6th. After seeing the Dell and comparing the specs i cancelled the Panny order and went with the Dell. I have been extremely happy with the purchase so far and in my personal opinion the Dell looks just as good as the Panny for PQ from what i saw of the Panasonic in action.

Hello,

I just ordered my Dell 50" PDP. I could not resist the Thousand dollar savings. My set is due on January 2,2006. Hope I made the right choice, just incase I got the 4 year extended on-site warranty.

Just wanted to chime in and say thanks.

James

I have a question for anyone who has the dell. I just got mine the other day, and I noticed one big thing. There is no speakers! Were they supposed to come in another shipment? Do you not get speakers with this? It is not a big deal to me, but it is a big deal to the wife.

brianhos,

Yes, you should get speakers. They came shipped in a separate box WITH the TV. The separate box was attached to the big TV box with plastic wrap and tape....

Rich

pretty satisfied with the set overall, only a few issues.

Issues with the company itself, is another story.

Lousy customer service: (I'm sure everyone already knows all about them.)

Unfair, unethical, should be and maybe is illegal pricing tactics.....
Somedays the price will change 2 or 3 times. Raised & lowered...

Absolutely ridiculous.....

For the latter reasons: No future business from my end.

Well, I've gone ahead and made the arrangements necessary to return my W5001C. I like the TV well enough, and the service I received was PHENOMENAL, but the posterization issues I was seeing in the shadow areas was too big an issue for me to ignore. I watch a lot of DVDs, and to the blotchiness/posterization that I was seeing was a dealbreaker. Everything else was great (though I'm pissed at myself for not realizing that the RF inputs didn't have a QAM tuner), but the picture quality just wasn't what I was looking for.

Well, I've gone ahead and made the arrangements necessary to return my W5001C. I like the TV well enough, and the service I received was PHENOMENAL, but the posterization issues I was seeing in the shadow areas was too big an issue for me to ignore. I watch a lot of DVDs, and to the blotchiness/posterization that I was seeing was a dealbreaker. Everything else was great (though I'm pissed at myself for not realizing that the RF inputs didn't have a QAM tuner), but the picture quality just wasn't what I was looking for.

For the price of a good HDMI cable you could've gotten a Samsung upconverting DVD player that includes the HDMI cable. That is what I am using as my DVD player even though I have a Panasonic HTIB. The DVDs from the Samsung look great.

I 'm going to relegate the HTIB to my bedroom where I'm going to put my new 32XBR1 and probably piece together a surround system.

Sorry to hear you weren't totally happy with the set.

For the price of a good HDMI cable you could've gotten a Samsung upconverting DVD player that includes the HDMI cable. That is what I am using as my DVD player even though I have a Panasonic HTIB. The DVDs from the Samsung look great.

I 'm going to relegate the HTIB to my bedroom where I'm going to put my new 32XBR1 and probably piece together a surround system.

Sorry to hear you weren't totally happy with the set.


What samsung DVD player are you using? I have been impressed so far with my old Sony DVD player using component cables. Have you noticed a big difference in PQ using the samsung with upconversion over component?

Well, I've gone ahead and made the arrangements necessary to return my W5001C. I like the TV well enough, and the service I received was PHENOMENAL, but the posterization issues I was seeing in the shadow areas was too big an issue for me to ignore.

I have not convinced myself the occasional posterization is in the set. I think it is a combination of source material and the scaler in use. I now have an upconverting DVD player and the DTV HD DVR (which upconverts) connected through the two HDMI ports. Now I can switch either one to upconvert (to 720p or 1080i) or to pass 480i and 480p and let the W5001C scale it. The next time I run across a program with posterization I will be able to switch back and forth and see if one way is better than the other. It certainly isn't a case of the W5001C not being able to produce an adequate range of blacks as so much of the HD material is absolutely fabulous with no trace of posterization. I can test on board vs offboard OTS, Sat, and DVD sources and three different scalers. I also can switch any unit to my LCD projector for comparison. Another week and I am sure I will have an opinion.

Calim, if you get a different plasma, please come back to this thread and let us know how they complare with regard to the posterization issue.

Also, your contrast seems pretty low to me. I am running pretty much the same numbers except the contrast which I have set at about 42-46 depending on the port. I assume you calibrated using a DVD player, did you use these same numbers for the HD tuner settings as well? What kind of DVD player and what input port is it connected to?

74Capri I agree. I have been dealing with dell for a few years now and customer service can be hit or miss. My Axim X50V Pda recently went on the blink and 3 days after I talked to customer service I had a new Pda. I had an issue with my computer and I had to bounce around 3 different reps who could barely speak english. And their prices seem to go up and down from month to month. However I recently got an $800 off coupon for the W5001C. With it already at a low price, I had to jump on the deal. So mine is set to be delivered on the 28th by FSP. I hope all goes well. All in all I have been very pleased with all my Dell products.

OMG thanks for this thread! After searching and searching we determined that 42" was just too small and we didn't want to go with rear projection.. however in canada 50" plasma price point is rediculous, even online 1000$ off seems too good too be true well I ordered mine tonight lets see what happens (I'm super stoked though :D)
Plus I got free shipping!

On the occasionnal posterization:

I have to agree with davivers: I'm just referring to stb to plasma. have not viewed too much dvd content yet.

My hd content is amazingly life-like, but on digital i see the posterization too frequently.
I'm not sure it's in the signal either..... Real frustrating.........

Maybe they spent so much time making sure the hd was great, they forgot about the rest...

If it is the source or signal, then what????

Do we have to wait until everything is in HD??????

Aquapussy...

I ordered my set late on the afternoon of monday Dec 12 ....I received a call at noon on Friday Dec 16 from the shipping company to confirm I would be there to accept the delivery that afternoon....Unbelievably quick turnaround.

I saw the Boxing day flier online on Dec 23, so called and they adjusted my price by crediting my card the difference + tax...no problems, no hassle...

Commonly compared sets like the Panny 50PX50 or 500 and the Toshiba 50HPX95 both retail for over $2k more than the Dell here in Canada...that was enough to make me pull the trigger on the Dell and I have not regretted it one bit.

Consider that at the current price point (on sale) the Dell is closer in price to rear-projection DLP's and LCD's...(especially RP sets that have so many inputs)...now compare the picture between sets at that pricepoint.....I have yet to see any that hold a candle to theW5001C...

For many spending the additional $2k+ (Cdn) was not an option...for me it made the difference between picking up a plasma vs compromising to the flickering image of DLP or the flat, untextured image of LCD RP...

Unlike most manufacturers Dell seems to have their price equal or lower than their US pricepoint. The set seems to be built with quality and in an attractive package...

The Panny 50" 8UK with 2 HDMI blades will run you about 30% more in Canada (in theory..if you could find one...which in all likelihood you CAN'T)....the Toshiba 50HPX95 will run you about 60% more...ask yourself again...how does it look?

Would a pure videophile be happy with the set...probably not...unless someone discovers an entryway into a hidden service menu to unlock more in-depth tweaks...will it be more than enough for the other 99% of the viewing public...you betcha ;)

What boxing flyer???

Boxing day is an additional Christmas holiday in Canada...

I don't know its origins..but it's a time retailers take advantage of to sell off excess stock and consumers go crazy to save a few extra $$$$

Oh i see........

Is $XXXX before tax/shipping good price for this unit ?
Thanks.

Anyone from Montreal region know where I can see this unit on display?

Howdy all,

Back with my settings

VGA:
Brightness: 41
Contrast: 42
Sharpness: n/a
Color Temperature Thingie: Natural
Color Hue: n/a
Color Saturation: n/a

DVI->HDMI (cable box)
Brightness: 43
Contrast: 43
Sharpness: 6
Color Temperature Thingie: blue
Color Hue: 49
Color Saturation: 58

Component1 (xbox)
Brightness: 43
Contrast: 43
Sharpness: 6
Color Temperature Thingie: blue
Color Hue: 49
Color Saturation: 58

In regards to the posterization... I believe this is what I was talking about in the very begining. I see it every now and then, but not too much. In fact I have to really look for it now.

As davivers pointed out, I think my Contrast setting was too low at first and since setting it higher, it has lessened it's effects.

@calim
Please report back once you get your next set and let us know how the Dell compares.

I have to say.. all things being equal... I am very pleased with the set. Once the room is completed I will have time to enjoy it. Once the room is completed... say it with me... once the room is completed :(

That posterization you're seeing is the result of a cheap (or substandard) color decoder . The same thing happens when you lower the color from 32 to 16 bit on your pc. Those nice smooth colors on that wallpaper you have are suddenly erratically contoured and look like a gif animation. For me, that's always the killer when I walk into a store and see it in real life. The only solution is to buy one that is better with colors. That's how they reach the lower price points. I would stay away from Dell anyway. It's just a matter of time before they decide Flat Panel TVs aren't the business for them and they cut and run.

Every time I watch sports on HD I feel the urge to come on here and gush over how amazing it is.

Thanks for listening, please carry on.

Every time I watch sports on HD I feel the urge to come on here and gush over how amazing it is.

Thanks for listening, please carry on.

E39, Do you set it on sports mode, when viewing sports.
Or do you prefer the personnal, movies etc...

That posterization you're seeing is the result of a cheap (or substandard) color decoder . The same thing happens when you lower the color from 32 to 16 bit on your pc. Those nice smooth colors on that wallpaper you have are suddenly erratically contoured and look like a gif animation.

I think if that were true the set would produce the problem all the time. It can't have a substandard color decoder on one show and then change to a great color decoder the second I change channels. On the other hand if the source material lacks the necessary number of colors I would think that even a great color decoder couldn't do much with it. But then again I don't understand how this works. Would appreciate a more technical explanation on color decoders. Particularly in relation to SD vs HD such as, is there a separate decoder for each or just one for both? Does each port have a unique one and the tuners, or just one for the whole set? Is it in the scaler, because so far I am only seeing it in scaled material, but not all scaled material? If you told me there is just one in the whole set, then I would conclude the decoder is an excellent one as the color capabilities are really quite impressive.

Radiation: My settings are pretty much matching yours plus or minus 2 all the way across the board.

Everyone out there watching this thread on this issue should hang in there for a while longer. I don't think we have a definitive answer yet and I for one am not interested in hosing anybodies multi-million dollar investment in a new product line without some very broad based user input. We need more time, more users.

I see it pretty much all the time. I'm using Comcast with a Motorola 6412 box. The only way to know if its the TV would be to send it a signal that you know does not produce this problem on other sets. Unfortunately, this is my only HDTV, so I can't do it, but perhaps someone else can.

Rich

Yes it is very frustrating..........

On one hand: i'm thrilled with the hd content, way beyond my expectations....
On the other hand: the digital end of it, for the most part, dissapointing.....

I.ve tried everything i could think of & all input from everyone else, still no luck....
I,m done adjusting & re-setting, till someone has an answer, if thier is one....

I am leaning towards the signal, if that's the case.
I will shut the set down, until evrything is sent in HD

The false contouring will only happen in certain situations. For example, I have seen it happen on certain LCDs and the cheaper plasmas (while other displays are showing the same exact signal). You may get a TV that does it infrequently because the color decoder is OK, but it smacks you in the face with those few circumstances you just have no control over. I say get a TV capable of displaying BILLIONS of colors, not tens of millions. I had considered the Dell because of the price, but after reading all of these reports, I think I'll just spend the extra money and be happy with my purchase.

I'm not sure that specs mean anything. Everyone on this forum raves about the Vizio 50" PDP, but when I saw it in person at Costco, the false contouring was worse than my Dell and this TV has Faroudja processing and can display a Billion colors. I think the jury is still out as to whether it's the TV or the source.

... some thoughts I always have while reading most of the threads here... especially this one....

It's such a tough call. So subjective.

I had a friend over and he was just ooohing and ahhhing about the picture and E39 is right... sports are just fabulous in HD (I don't think the brand of set matters)... anyway, I was trying to explain about the "posterization" thing... but couldn't find any examples for the life of me. I finally went to an XVid file of CSI (624x352 and 350MB in size) and showed him some scenes where there was some macro blocking (due to the encoding process) and tried to explain again... he just didn't see it ! Not even the macro blocking ! It wasn't until 10 mins of explination and pointing out things on the screen like I was a teacher with a pointer, that he finally saw what I saw (and even then I think he was just trying to get me to stop with the explination and get back to the game :rolleyes: )

My point is... because picture is so subjective I am very hesitant to say "yay" or "nay" to anyone. I would hate it if someone spent X number of dollars because I said "it's great" and then they were disappointed.

All I can say is... I'm glad I finally gave in, got off the "which one is better" carousel and just bought "something". I made a decision and I'm happy with the outcome.

Are there things that I wish were better or different... sure... there is always something, with any set (just look at all the threads here for every single panel). Am I sorry I got this set instead of something else... not a chance. Would a panny or a pioneer have been better... perhaps. Would anything have been worse... perhaps. But that's all dependant on me not anyone else and really... how would I know?

I feel for all you guys sitting on the fence. I was so right there with you... you can probably still see my "ass-groove". This is a big decision and a lot of money. Some people will support you, and others will belittle your "inferior choice when the best choice is... insert-whatever-here". But it all boils down to your satisfaction in the end. So if you get one and you like it... bollocks to anyone who tells you different.

calim tried and wasn't satisfied so he sent it back... but at least now he knows some of what he can and can't live with. And good on him for taking the stand that "the picture quality just wasn't what I was looking for" and actually sending it back. That takes a lot of balls to now deal with getting it back and all.

So good luck to you all and God (or your deity) speed...

Anyone close to me who wants to view my Dell... if it will help you decide (I'm not sending a free invitation for movies at Casa De RADIatiON ;) )... is most welcome (bring chips).

Agreed,,,,,,,,,,i got off that fence too.........

As far as sending an item back, well by the time you actually get the set & figure out what the problem is: TV, Signal etc...etc... It's too late to send back anyway........

So your stuck trying to figure the d.....thing out..........

I'm not into, this panel is better than this panel, what's the best sports team of all time or who is the greatest musician........oh (Santana ,,,,,of course.)

I just want the best pic i can get, for the jing i spent.

Dell, sure as .... ain't gonna help..........
You guys are!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello! I have been following this thread and not saying anything because I am sitting right on the fence waiting to pull the trigger on this TV (DELL 5001C). The comments and discussion flow about the same way they did last year this time when the 4200HD Dell was hovering around the same price. People got it, posted pics, had positive then negative things to say about it. Well i canceled my order for the 4200 and bought 2 - 34inch Sony XBR960 TVS for the time being and here it is a year later and the 50 Inch is out with the SAME price tag as the 42 inch last year. Now I understand that in general plasmas will continually go down in price over time, cannot get away from that, but DELL offering this 2 year no interest financing and 400 off price I may just have to pull the trigger. Anyway just wanted to say thanks for all the detailed input and I will keep watching for more reviews and detail here as the offer I have is good through Jan 5. Thanks again!!
Surf

I have a question about the "CHEIF STATIC WALL MOUNT" offered on DELL's site with the Plasma TV Line. Questions are:
1. Does anyone have this?
2. Could it be mounted on the edges of a cut out over the fire place or does it have to be mounted from the CENTER of the wall mount?
3. Will any normal Plasma wall mount work with this TV or do they make it so you have to buy DELL?
Thanks in advanced...
J

I have the CHEIF STATIC WALL MOUNT and the mount has a long oval openings about 6-8 inches wide on each corner where you put the screws in, so depending on how big your opening is, you could mount it over top.

Hi All:

I've enjoyed this thread immensely, so thought I'd share my experience...

I have also made the plunge and gotten the Dell 50", which delivered yesterday (1 day ahead of schedule). I was looking for a balance of cost/quality, and researched quite a bit with a couple friends who also settled on Dell (2nd place was Panasonic). Finally, I work with the "HT Guys" and one of them told me you can't go wrong with this generation of Dells (they liked the 42" a lot). Anyway, there's the background.

This is my first plasma, and have just gotten hooked up to my DVD player (Sony DVP-NS70H - and yes this model has a 1/2" shifted image at 1080i), plus the PCI via DVI/HDMI. HD/DVR coming this Friday.

The DVD display looks absolutely awesome, as good as anything else I've seen. Used a variant of the cailbration settings posted here, plus a minor tweak with DVE.

PC is OK, but not as crisp as I had hoped. There's a little ghosting (?) around the text, and some unnatural oversaturation (forgive me, I don't know the full HT lexicon). Turned Sharpening down to "0", which helped a bit. No real color settings for this, except on the PC video card driver, but don't want to go there yet.

Before the purchase, I saw a couple of the Dell's at a showroom, one being calibrated, one not, and the difference was amazing - the calibrated unit looked like a completely different model. So...

I went to a local HT boutique today to see about them doing a pro calibration for me. This is a high end place, doing Kaleidescape-type installs. They said the Dell is "at the bottom of the food chain, unlike a Panasonic or Fujitsu", which I guess is what you'd expect them to say, as that's all they sell and their typical customer drops $25K on his HT. Anyway, they said there is a major limitation in the service menu options that would allow them to make any improvements - don't know if this is true as got no specifics. Anyone know about this?

So, I'm so far very happy with the unit, and if I can just crisp up the PC display, I think the Dell is good as any of the units I've seen, and collectively with friends, have done a fair amount of research.

PC is OK, but not as crisp as I had hoped. There's a little ghosting (?) around the text, and some unnatural oversaturation (forgive me, I don't know the full HT lexicon). Turned Sharpening down to "0", which helped a bit. No real color settings for this, except on the PC video card driver, but don't want to go there yet.


What input(s) are you using for your PC, and what resolution(s) are you using?

PC is OK, but not as crisp as I had hoped. There's a little ghosting (?) around the text, and some unnatural oversaturation (forgive me, I don't know the full HT lexicon). Turned Sharpening down to "0", which helped a bit. No real color settings for this, except on the PC video card driver, but don't want to go there yet.


Make sure you have Clear Type enabled for screen font smoothing under:

Display Properties/Appearance/Effects/

Steve.

I have learned a few thing from this thread also. I recieved mine today. At first I am a little dissapointed with the picture. I am coming from an older Akai 65" projection tv. I am running a DVI to Hdmi cable from my cable box to the tv. All the HD channels look amazing. But the regular tv looks ok not the best. I also notice that on dark areas I am getting posterization, if I am using the right term. I am going to try some tweaking. I would say it is a big improvment over my old projection but not sure if it is worht the price tag yet. I will give it some time. I am running my Sony CX-995V dvd player directly with an HDMI cable. I am going to run it through it paces tonight and see how it does.

amop,
I have the exact same setup and concur with your analysis. If you are getting the H10-250 DVR I think you will find SD on it good, but not as good as the DVD player. HD will be superb. I assume your PC is through the VGA.

My recollection is that the NS70H is a 12 bit machine which begs the question, what happens when a 12 bit machine feeds an 8 bit display through the HDMI connection. Pretty damn awsome isn't it. I was most impressed by the fast pans of landscape scenes, very stable and smooth. Maybe the best I have ever seen and of course no posterizing in the dark areas with the few DVDs I have watched so far. I am a little surprised by this because I would have thought that most DVD's are encoded in 8 bits and going from 8 to 12 to 8 would degrade the image. Which only reinforces that I don't understand any of this, so I can only rely on my eyes.

Thanks for the feedback...

travd - I am using the DVI output of my PC (nvidia card), hooked up to HDMI

StevEast - Thanks - will try that when I have a chance. Though not sure why on my 21" desktop LCD the text looks just great as is, and not on the Dell.

davivers - PC is through DVI/HDMI. I understand a little about bits, but actually do see some posterizing. What settings are you using?

Speaking of posterizing - I've had a chance now to check out some dark concert DVDs, and couple dark-ish movies, like "Sin City" There is indeed a fair amount of posterizing, and when something transitions to black, it goes greenish, so there is a greenish tint overall. Not sure if it's the Dell or not, or the nature of the DVDs. I'm afraid I don't know enough about this to tell yet. Maybe check it against the DVR/HD setup arriving Friday. However, I can see this getting a little annoying...

It's very annoying & Dissapointing.......................

Keep throwing the Posterization deal out there..................

Don't let it die.....................

Somebody's going to figure it out...............

I hope!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Strange....I'm running a Denon DVD-1600 via Tributaries component cables to my W5001C and I didn't think the posterizationin Sin City was all that bad??

I'll watch it again soon with a more critical eye..what was more noticeable to me was in Star Wars Ep 3 in some of the close up face shots of Anakin there seemed to be a bit...

I'll be springing for a full blown calibration soon on the set...

In the meantime, I've been very pleased with how it has handled HD content as well as SD (SD however is still being fed through an upconverting HD PVR Satellite receiver - Expressvu 9200 - Echostar 942)

i'm not going to try and compare the image quality of this set to a professionally calibrated Fujitsu.....first..because it's not calibrated yet, and second...because it cost me half of what the Fujitsu would have....

It's like buying a Corvette and then complaining that it's not a Ferrari...It's still way more performance than you'll ever likely need or use...and sure you could have gotten a bit more..but for a healthy premium!

That being said...let's see what we can do to optimize the performance out of this set...

I'm very happy...but if we can tweak it to make it better still..I'm all for it!

I finally got my HDMI cable and hooked up my Motorola 6412 STB to both the HDMI and Component connections. I did numerous back and forth between the HDMI and Component connections and I don't really see a difference in the posturization between the two. They both exibit a good amount of it in dark scenes. That said, however, I find the colors and overall picture to be better with the HDMI connection. In fact, HDMI give a brighter more colorfull picture with settings of brightness:40 and contrast:42 than the Component does with brightness:45 and contrast: 45. The HDMI picture is just much brighter overall. I still wish we didn't have the posturization problem though :-(

On another note, I noticed a problem with the side video inputs. when i connect anything to them (composite or svideo), the screen flickers on and off. Others on the Dell support forum are having this problem. Has anyone here experienced it?

Rich

[QUOTE=CPersyn]

In the meantime, I've been very pleased with how it has handled HD content as well as SD (SD however is still being fed through an upconverting HD PVR Satellite receiver - Expressvu 9200 - Echostar 942)
QUOTE]

Are you using the HDMI connection with your 9200? At first I tried (with the cable ExpressVu offered) and it was working on and off. Now I can't get it to work :( Also at first, when using the hdmi cable the channels would flicker once after 2 or 3 seconds the channel would come in but at least I was getting something...right now nothing! :mad:

ah yes this "Posterization", getting the same output on mine (yuck) but I did get it to disapear on certain scenes last night by trying various settings :D but was it still obvious on some others. I did remember looking at a Panny px50u last week in the stores and could see a small amout of it also, but again until you plug in 2 sets (Dell and say Panny) side by side displaying the same picture we'll never be able to really compare. I was thinking of buying a panny and doing just that and returning the worst one but going with the panny, I would have to drop to a 42 inch to match the price I paid. :(

I was thinking of buying a panny and doing just that and returning the worst one but going with the panny, I would have to drop to a 42 inch to match the price I paid. :(

If you decide to do this, I'm sure everyone would be gratefull :)

Rich

When I first hooked up my HTPC to my panel, I had excessive posterization. I fixed that by correcting the output resolution and performing a quick calibration. I'm happy to report I have to go out of my way to look for it now.

What resolution & calibration do you use?????

[QUOTE=CPersyn]

In the meantime, I've been very pleased with how it has handled HD content as well as SD (SD however is still being fed through an upconverting HD PVR Satellite receiver - Expressvu 9200 - Echostar 942)
QUOTE]

Are you using the HDMI connection with your 9200? At first I tried (with the cable ExpressVu offered) and it was working on and off. Now I can't get it to work :( Also at first, when using the hdmi cable the channels would flicker once after 2 or 3 seconds the channel would come in but at least I was getting something...right now nothing! :mad:



I am using the supplied cable, and yes, I do find that when I change channels sometimes it will occassionally go black and then come back up...it's not 2-3 seconds though...fraction of a second here..not enough to bother me in the least.

Dell has programmed the set to ignore inputs without a signal. when the Signal switches, there is likely a dip in the voltage being supplied to the set for the picture information...the TV thinks that the signal has gone away, so prepares to shut down the input to prevent damage...this timeout feature makes sense and could be a nice protection feature....they just need to adjust it to look for the signal a little longer before blanking out...

I'll be replacing the 2-piece cable supplied by Bell in the near future, hoping to see if the connection is causing the signal to weaken too close to the sets detection threshold...

If what I suspect is true, then it should be an easy firmware fix, or possibly even be accessible in the service menus..

When I first hooked up my HTPC to my panel, I had excessive posterization. I fixed that by correcting the output resolution and performing a quick calibration. I'm happy to report I have to go out of my way to look for it now.

E39, Can you please elaborate on how you corrected the output resolution and performed the quick calibration.

TIA,
Rich
ps. Do you own a 5-series or does your nickname mean something else?

Based on this forum, bought the dell 5001c, used a [EDIT], not a bad deal with the free shipping and financing if you are so inclined.

I have started to play with Component, HDMI connections with SD, DVD and XBox360 sources and the quality has been great so far, no issues at all.

I have been playing with the calibration settings listed earlier in this thread, just wandered if anyone has found a favorite combo to date.

Now, you have 45 days from the date of the order to decide whether to purchase the extended warranty:

$349 for 2 years
$4xx for 3 years etc.

Any of you guys going for the dell extended warranty or are you relying on coverage from AMEX plat/gold, costco etc ??


Thanks.

EDIT>>

mod note: no coupon talk, please. Thanks

According to Dell's website and their Extended Warrantee department (1-877-585-7477), you have until your original 1 year warrantee expires to add an extended warrantee. They also quoted me different prices:

$249 - Additional 1 year
$399 - Additional 2 years
$549 - Additional 3 years
$799 - Additional 4 years

I'm probably gonna do it, but I'm gonna wait a little bit to see how it holds up for now.

Rich

Just curious, but does anyone have any idea why a 4 year warranty is 25% of the original cost. Is this the case in all plasma TVS or are they that worried about failure? What drives these ridiculous rates?
I mean I spent 3500 on a high end DELL desktop this year and a 4 year warranty ran me about 300...
J

......have until your original 1 year warrantee expires to add an extended warrantee. They also quoted me different prices:
$249 - Additional 1 year
$399 - Additional 2 years
$549 - Additional 3 years
$799 - Additional 4 years


I called today and they also told me, I have until the last day of my current 1 year warranty to purchase additional years. The prices given to me over the phone were;

$399 - Additional 1 year
$499 - Additional 2 years
$599 - Additional 3 years
$699 - Additional 4 years

Just curious, but does anyone have any idea why a 4 year warranty is 25% of the original cost. Is this the case in all plasma TVS or are they that worried about failure? What drives these ridiculous rates?
I mean I spent 3500 on a high end DELL desktop this year and a 4 year warranty ran me about 300...
J

Computers are made up of alot of cheap parts. When something goes wrong with a computer, it's pretty easy to isolate the problem and just open them up and put in a new version of whatever is bad.

I'm guessing that alot can go wrong with a Plasma that just can't be fixed easily or for a reasonable cost. According to the guy I spoke with, Dell won't actually repair it. He said, if I have a problem under warrantee that can't be resolved, they will ship you another TV and you return the bad one. From what I've heard about the old w4200's, this is true (although people have complained that they got a refurb back).

Rich

Rather go with the repairmaster 4 yr.

You can find it for more than 1/2 the cost.......

Anyone but dell, thier not getting any more cash from me..........

When I first hooked up my HTPC to my panel, I had excessive posterization. I fixed that by correcting the output resolution and performing a quick calibration. I'm happy to report I have to go out of my way to look for it now.


Hey E,,,, more specifics on what you did............

Please,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

What resolution & calibration do you use?????

1360x768. Calibrated via Avia & DVE.

That said, my Moto 6412 STB has never had any false contouring, so perhaps it's with your set?

I sure hope not.....................

I have know experience on avia or dve

E39, Can you please elaborate on how you corrected the output resolution and performed the quick calibration.

TIA,
Rich
ps. Do you own a 5-series or does your nickname mean something else?

Just to reiterate, I'm driving my panel with a Motorola 6412 STB (for high-def) and the rest is all through a home theater PC... all of my movies are on a media server, so I have a lot more control than any stand alone DVD player. Both are being driven through the HDMI inputs.

ps: You betchya

Guess i'll be getting a couple dvd's..........

calibrations for dummies..........

I found a thread on it, with a good link........but acrobat, would not recognize it.
So no readable print...........Looks like fun though?+_$#@^()

Yeah right............

What a crack pain, it's getting to be...........

I have a question, I am running a Sony DVP-CX995V dvd player. I am using an HDMI cable. On the DVD player properties should I set it for 1920 X 1080 or set it for auto. I tried out my first DVD last night and on scenes that showed a solid color like green I got some flicker.

I have a question, I am running a Sony DVP-CX995V dvd player. I am using an HDMI cable. On the DVD player properties should I set it for 1920 X 1080 or set it for auto. I tried out my first DVD last night and on scenes that showed a solid color like green I got some flicker.

If you're seeing flicker with 1080i then try 720p.

Steve.

Well, i'm getting both th avia & dve discs........

Hope these take care of the posterization problem...

Thier goes another fiddy bucks........

D.. Dell.......

Looked at the Panny 50PX50U in 2 different locations...both being fed a DVD signal...one was Star Wars Ep 3, the other was Spiderman2....in both sets there was a fair degreeof posterization and pixelation exhibited...

The Panasonics are supposed to rate among the best, and yet this was clearly visible even from a distance....

If you can tweak it out of the Panasonic, it's not unreasonable to be able to tweak it out of the Dell...

Ihad a copy of DVE in myhands yesterday, but didn't pull the trigger....I'm still leaning towards ISF calibration for me set...

Agreed, I've seen it on other plasmas as well. I don't, however, recall seeing it on any of the LCD or DLP projection TV's I looked at...

I've seen it on DLP's and LCD projection as well...although it sometimes hard to notice with all of the other display 'quirks' that those sets throw at you as well...

Well, we shall see how the avia & dve perform.......

If it has to be ISF calibrated,,,,,,,that's pretty deep....

I'll get a pro to do it........

& on & on & on.....

By the way.....Does it matter which one i run 1st???

Hi Folks. This is a great thread.

I received my W5001C about 10 days ago, and have for the most part been extremely pleased. It's probably not perfect, but I'm not sure perfection is to be had for less than silly money. Here's my setup:

Scientific Atlanta 8300HD STB/DVR via component
Denon DVD-2910 via HDMI and component

I do notice some posterization, on both HD/cable and DVD, but I can't decide whether it's the source or the set. On DVD, adjusting the brightness and contrast of the subject input helps a lot, but in cases where it's really bad, does not eliminate it altogether. I have not (yet) tried adjusting the video parameters on my 2910, which I can do, but I'd like to think I don't have to do that.

I've done a fair bit of switching back and forth between HDMI and component connections on my DVD player. They are definitely different, and in all cases that I've noticed the HDMI looks better. However, since all of my comparison has been using two particular passages from The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers, my current "sample" is pretty small.

I calibrated my TV's video setup using DVE, and here's where I'm at on the HDMI inputs:

Brightness: 40
Contrast: 29 (though I increased this to 40 while viewing Two Towers)
Sharpness: 0
Color temperature: Natural (see note below)
Color tint: 49
Color saturation: 54

It's somewhat different on the component inputs:

Brightness: 30
Contrast: 41 (though I increased this to 40 while viewing Two Towers)
Sharpness: 0
Color temperature: Natural (see note below)
Color tint: 51
Color saturation: 55

Note on Color Temperature: The default setting is Blue; other choices are Natural, Normal, and Red. I always select Natural (because it looks the most "gray"), but the setting does not seem to always stick. Specifically, after setting the color temp to "natural", if I ever select one of the factory-set picture settings (e.g., Movie, Sports, Weak Signal, Multimedia), the color temp on the Personal setting goes back to Blue. Has anyone else seen this problem? It happens on both HDMI and Component.

While reading the discussions of posterization in this thread, I keep hoping to see someone indicate a specific seen that they're seeing the problem on. So, here's mine:

Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, Full Screen (sigh) Edition
Chapter 34, Aragorn's Return (times are chapter elapsed)

0:00:11 Some posterization of the dark sky. Orc army looks pretty good - spears are visible and show movement.
0:00:26 Posterization (lack of detail) on Aragorn's horse as he rides past (Aragorn and the horse sort of blend together). This seen passes quickly, so it's not very noticable
0:02:20 Aragorn enters through the castle doors, extreme backlighting. Not much detail to be seen on his clothes
0:02:52 The far wall and ceiling, especially around the arches at the top of the screen, are severely posterized.
0:03:00 Theodan's red tunic (lower left of screen) is severely posterized

Chapter 39, The Battle of the Hornburg

0:00:23 - The night sky and the hills in the distance are posterized in the extreme.
0:00:31 - As Gimli says "You could have picked a better spot", the backlit, smokey air in this sequence of scenes is mildly to severely posterized.
0:00:49 - Back to the advancing army. Initially, the posterization isn't nearly as bad as before. Then, there's a flash of lightning which lights up the hills in the background nicely, but then the sky and terrain at the horizon dissolves into a horizontally streaked mess.

When I first started looking for posterization in this DVD (thanks a lot, Calim!), I found these passages because they had lots of movement and dark scenes. Initially, it looked awful, but after tweaking the brightness, contrast, tint and saturation settings on the display it looks way better.

If any of you other W5001C owners can compare what you see with this, it would be interesting.

Finally, a few other comments on the set:

* It seems to be extremely well-built. I looked at the new Maxent 50" at Best Buy and decided against it because it just didn't seem that ... substantial. The Dell definitely does.
* The speakers sound VERY good. Except when watching 5.1 material, I use them exclusively. They mount easily to the sides of the set, or can be mounted on their own very sturdy/heavy stands that match the TV stand.
* As others have reported, the remote is nice but the blue backlighting stays on for a couple seconds at the most - 10 would be more like it.

As negative as my descriptions above might seem, I love this set. It looks great in my family room, and HD programming is truly amazing. The only way it goes back to Costco is if it breaks in the next three years. Super Bowl party at my house!

Hi Folks. This is a great thread.



Note on Color Temperature: The default setting is Blue; other choices are Natural, Normal, and Red. I always select Natural (because it looks the most "gray"), but the setting does not seem to always stick. Specifically, after setting the color temp to "natural", if I ever select one of the factory-set picture settings (e.g., Movie, Sports, Weak Signal, Multimedia), the color temp on the Personal setting goes back to Blue. Has anyone else seen this problem? It happens on both HDMI and Component.

I've noticed the same thing. Kind of sucks to have to set it back to natural every time you toggle throught the picture settings.

Hi Folks. This is a great thread.
I do notice some posterization, on both HD/cable and DVD, but I can't decide whether it's the source or the set.

Just for the record I am not getting any posterization on true HD material at all. Although I am not using cable, I am using DTV and OTA HD channels. I have seen some posterization on some badly scaled up SD source material transmitted over a digital channel, but no problems on true HD source material. Also, much of my SD looks pretty good.

I just ran a test on two segments of a Harry Potter that mildly posterizes, on five different setups as described below.

--Sony NS70H upscaling DVD player through W5001C HDMI
--Radian 9600 video card with 10 bit dac through a Sony LCD 20" computer monitor
--Nvidia 5600GT video card with 8 bit dac (I think) through Sony LCD 20" computer monitor
--Nvidia MX400 video card with 8 bit dac through W5001C VGA port
--Panasonic RP56 DVD player through Sony 10HT LCD projector on a 10 foot screen.


The computer sessions were tested with both Windows Media Player and Power DVD.

My observations.

1) The bigger the screen the more noticable the posterization. (However the computer through the VGA port on the DELL seemed to be the worst combination but that is a pretty old video card.)

2) Even though the posterization was more noticable on the larger screens, very close analysis under freeze frame revealed very similar contour lines between all.

3) Adjustments in brightness contrast and saturation had an effect on all.

4) The 10 bit video card did look slightly better than the 8 bit on the 20" computer display. So I would imagine that if you can find and afford a 10 or 12 bit plasma, and you have the right equipment and the right source, you would probably find some benefit with SD material. However I doubt that any other 8 bit plasma will be materially different, and I doubt it will be dramatic because the source seems to be the limiting factor. I think some of the posts above where people have been able to go view DVD's on other sets supports this.

5) The ability to handle motion (or lack of motion artifacts) between the scaler in the Sony NS70H and Scaler in the W5001C were very similar. I tested this by simply having the DVD player send 480P which forces the display to scale it up vs having it send 720P and 1080I. Both were superior to my older equipment and video cards.


My own humble conclusion:

Posterizaition is mostly caused by the source material.

If you start with ugly SD, the bigger you try to make it, the uglier it gets. (People coming from smaller displays are going to be most freaked out about this, particularly since they generally only see HD material demo'd in stores. )

SD sucks, HD rocks.

I'm new to the forum and although I was looking at the 42, I ended up ordering the w5001c today, having seen it at a local Dell kiosk. The extra 8 diagonal inches really makes a dramatic difference! In any case, I opted for the 1 year CARE warranty against accidents, since we'll be wall-mounting it ourselves (if we drop it - or if the wall mount fails for any reason - we're covered). I did not opt for the extras - HDMI cable, surge protector. I'm guessing these will be available perhaps cheaper elsewhere. I also did not buy into an extended warranty, knowing there is no rush to do so.

So basically I ordered the TV, the Chief Static Mount ($149) and the 1 years CARE accident-coverage warranty ($149). Can anyone comment on what they felt were other worthwhile add-ons through Dell?

Lee

Yes, indeed hd rocks...........

Would be the King of rocks,,if thier were more of it too chose from......

Being that 90% of the content you can get is not hd yet......

Well, then these sets are years ahead of thier time???

Or, the signals are way behind???

Seems like thier was not a great deal of planning, on both ends......

kidziti I also didn't get the add ons I felt their price was high and got them elsewhere locally. Instead of a wall mount I did get the Bello stand Dell offers. I really like it:

http://www.supermotors.org/getfile/277019/fullsize/christmas%20009.jpg

I have tweaked it the best I could I did order a copy of DVE. The posterization is very minimal and it seems that the more I use the tv the less I notice it.

I purchased the tilt wall mount..but I'm probably going to return it as the stand that comes with the TV looks so nice!!!

I'm just going to use themoney towards materials for building a custom table below the TV to house my AV components....(which I'd need even if I wall mounted)

Does anybody have the "Monster Power Centers" setup with their Plasma Unit? Does the noise reduction make a difference to the output? Just looking for your input before I run out and buy one. Is Monster the only one to consider here?

Thanks

I purchased the tilt wall mount..but I'm probably going to return it as the stand that comes with the TV looks so nice!!!

I'm just going to use themoney towards materials for building a custom table below the TV to house my AV components....(which I'd need even if I wall mounted)

that's a good move.......

Even though i wall mounted mine. it freed up space on the top of my entertaiment unit, that i have modified.

I dropped it from an original hieght of 64" to 28"
Works well & looks great...

Not to mention the $$$ i saved....

Here is a pic of my W5001C.

http://home.houston.rr.com/mach1mustang/W5001C.JPG


and my little LCD for the bedroom

http://home.houston.rr.com/mach1mustang/32XBR1.JPG

Question -

I'm piecing together my home theater set-up. I have the Dell w5001C on it's way, and already have a Denon 3806, a pair of floor-standing ADS three-way tower speakers (top-end stuff from the 90's) plus a basic progressive scan DVD/CD player. Next purchase will be the sub. My question is if I can use the detachable Dell TV speakers to complete a surround-sound system until I spring for the back speakers. It looks like Dell speakers have their own proprietary connectors, which might make it difficult, and I'm not sure I can (or would want to) drive them directly from the AVR. Just curious if anyne tried anything like that.

Lee

Question -

I'm piecing together my home theater set-up. I have the Dell w5001C on it's way, and already have a Denon 3806, a pair of floor-standing ADS three-way tower speakers (top-end stuff from the 90's) plus a basic progressive scan DVD/CD player. Next purchase will be the sub. My question is if I can use the detachable Dell TV speakers to complete a surround-sound system until I spring for the back speakers. It looks like Dell speakers have their own proprietary connectors, which might make it difficult, and I'm not sure I can (or would want to) drive them directly from the AVR. Just curious if anyne tried anything like that.

Lee

I believe you just need some banana connectors. They are only rated for 20 watts . Mine are still in the box.

I suppose - even though temporary - mixing the Dell speakers in with the ADS/Denon system would be like having a side of fries with your Filet de truite Colbert at Antoines.

(...not that ADS/Denon is super-high audiophile stuff, but the relative proportions are similar)

Lee

I finally got my HDMI cable and hooked up my Motorola 6412 STB to both the HDMI and Component connections. I did numerous back and forth between the HDMI and Component connections and I don't really see a difference in the posturization between the two. They both exibit a good amount of it in dark scenes. That said, however, I find the colors and overall picture to be better with the HDMI connection. In fact, HDMI give a brighter more colorfull picture with settings of brightness:40 and contrast:42 than the Component does with brightness:45 and contrast: 45. The HDMI picture is just much brighter overall. I still wish we didn't have the posturization problem though :-(

On another note, I noticed a problem with the side video inputs. when i connect anything to them (composite or svideo), the screen flickers on and off. Others on the Dell support forum are having this problem. Has anyone here experienced it?

Rich

Hey Rich, & others who have been trying to tweek this out. Just on the posterization part.

I was just watching iRobot, i think that was the title. It was on HBO and the posterization was awful. Lots of darker scenes. I got ticked..

So, I dropped the brightness to 26 & contrast is at 40..

95% of it........ is gone........

Going to watch other content for awhile, too see how it affects them as well...

I was just watching iRobot, i think that was the title. It was on HBO and the posterization was awful. Lots of darker scenes. I got ticked..

So, I dropped the brightness to 26 & contrast is at 40..

95% of it........ is gone........

Going to watch other content for awhile, too see how it affects them as well...

Ya, that's another reason SD sucks on these big displays. You can have your set perfectly calibrated with avia and you still get wild swings in luminance, contrast, and hugh between different SD programs/sources. I guess I don't remember noticing this in the analog world on my cathode ray tube, probably because we had nothing to compare it to. Now with the push of a button we can A/B it instantly with some HD channel that makes it look like puke on a cow pie.

It seems that HD broadcasts are far more standardized in how they display than SD.

Yes, i see your point....

The hd broadcasts, are far more consistent between themselves.
they are all spectacular.........

Only difference i notice is the color levels. Some more saturated than others.

Still, the major reduction in the brightness, has so far given me a better pic on sd content.
Also, much easier on the meeeee eyeballs..........

I found that the side video inputs flickered for me too, but I was trying to connect a console to it, didn't try a VCR or DVD yet.

And messing with the brightness/contrast helped with the blocking etc. for SD programs too.

Similar experience here.

Derek

Does anybody have the "Monster Power Centers" setup with their Plasma Unit? Does the noise reduction make a difference to the output? Just looking for your input before I run out and buy one. Is Monster the only one to consider here?


I would rather you throw your money in the toilet and flush it. There was a relatively recent (last two months) thread on the topic of power conditioners. I suggest you do a search for it, because that should answer any and all questions you have about that.

In regards to someone else asking about cables, monoprice.com (http://www.monoprice.com) can't be beat. I just wish they sold speaker cables.

So, I dropped the brightness to 26 & contrast is at 40..

95% of it........ is gone........


I noticed that too, but I also feel like I lose alot of detail when the brightness is set so low. I sat for a while on a different images and moved the brightness up and down. While posturization was definitly less when the brightness was low, detail in the darker areas of the screen was totally lost :(

Rich

Now, you had to go and point that out.....

I did noticed it as well, not all that bad though on most scenes.
I think, it's very minor.........

As of now, i much prefer that, over the dang P word.........

At least i feel like, i'm getting somewhere..........

Now, you had to go and point that out.....
Sorry about that. I'm hoping to find a happy medium between the two.

I know Rich,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I was just being sarcastic...............

I'm still a fiddling too, but not as much.........

Has anyone figured out how to access the service menu on the W5001C (or, for that matter, if there even is one)?

Has anyone figured out how to access the service menu on the W5001C (or, for that matter, if there even is one)?


it is the same as the older 42" Dell plasma. On the remote hit the input button then 6, 1, 9.

it is the same as the older 42" Dell plasma. On the remote hit the input button then 6, 1, 9.
That's it. BTW, Input Select -> Show Inputs needs to be set to All for this to work. I had mine set to Active the first time I tried it, and it didn't work. Thanks for the help.

I'm thinking of having my set professionally calibrated to see if I can get rid of some REALLY annoying distortion at near-black levels. I've tried DVE and THX Optimizer, and that has helped. But dark areas of some scenes just seem to lose all detail, as if the lower end of the TV's gray scale is "compressed". Has anyone else noticed this? Has anyone braved the "Factory Menu" yet?

Yes, we have all noticed this, we labled it posterazation...
and yes, it is very annoying.........


I was thinking of having a pro do it also.
Thier goes some more cash out the door..........
Like, we didn't spend enough on the plasma, to begin with.........................

Good luck, keep us posted, if you make any headway.........

I've left my settings to avoid that "posterization" recently at:

brightness: 58
contrast: 42 or 44

color temp: Natural
Sharpness: 6

everything else default.

It's a bit brighter, but I find the details in dark scenes aren't lost and the "posterization" seems to not be there.

(I'm beyond the first 100+ hours so brightness isn't a problem)

Derek,,,,,,,,,

I'll give that a shot.............

Thou brightness sounds a bit high, may be hard on the eyes after awhile.....

Thou brightness sounds a bit high, may be hard on the eyes after awhile.....

It's hard to compare without knowing the complete setup. I'm running both component and HDMI connections from my Comcast Moto6412 and the HDMI connection is MUCH brighter than the Component connection with the same settings. I find that Brightness set at 45 on the Component inputs is about the same as brightlness at 35 on the HDMI connection. So it's hard to tell what 58 on Derek_canada's really looks like, though I agree that it does sound high.

Rich

Thats true Rich,,,,

I was running hdmi, it was getting signal interuptions.......
I don't know offhand, what model# is on my motorola though.

I do know, i have enough cables in the wall,,, to fire up all the plasmas at the local B&M store... Still can't find a happy medium.......... :mad:

Just waiting to see, if someone has any luck at all, calibrating thru the service menu...

I'm with you... I'd love for someone else to be the guinea pig in the service menu because I'm afraid I'd mess something up.

By the way, Have you seen the "flashing screen" problem when connecting older video games or, in my case, my A/V reciever? I have it and so do others.