Just got mine, and hooked up, sort of. (Still waiting on my VGA to component cables.) S-video from a Dish 522 so far. Some things I've noticed, and a few questions. :)

1) It comes with a shielded power cord. I am hyper about shielding, having replaced all my other detachable AC cords with shielded ones ($12 ea from MCM Electronics). The only other component I ever came across that came with shielded power cords are Proceed (a la Mark Levinson) amplifiers. Cool.

2) I don't like stretch modes, but Panny's Just mode isn't bad.

3) I have all my settings dialed down, and like probably most of you, I have really looked for floating blacks (during regular TV viewing) and haven't seen them. Doesn't mean that they aren't there, just that so far, haven't come across them. I still need to look with test patterns though.

4) Under the Setup menu, there is a choice for PAL for Color System. When you choose that, the screen roles vertically. OK ... If I play a PAL DVD on my non PAL compliant Pioneer player, will it show up normally if I choose the PAL color system on the Panny? (If no one knows, I will try this over the next few days and report back. IOW: might not need a PAL player to play PAL discs with an 8uk!)

For an NTSC TV and a non-PAL player, a PAL video shows up also as rolling.

5) Settings. I'm interested in your settings for < 100 hrs, and then your final settings. I've done it so far by just eyeballing with my Avia calibrated Toshiba 32" CRT. I'm mostly happy, but I can't get rid of a too-much-yellow, not-enough-blue thing I have.

All On or Offs are all set to Off (Picture menu and Setup menu.)

Cinema
Picture -10
Brightness -20
Color 0
Tint 0
Sharp -5
Warm
All Advanced settings are at the default settings

I really like this thing. I held off because of the floating blacks and the confusion surrounding the fb7hm vs fb8hm HDMI blade (I have a fb7hm on the way). Shouldn't have held off as long as I did... :)

KCB ... make sure the "Auto Color Management" is set to OFF... that helps with the neon green.

Yup, all Ons or Offs are set to Off. Every single one of them. :)

Well except for Advanced settings so I still have access to them...

No one? :) I'm still interested in other people's setting for < and > 100 hrs for the 32" and 42" ED 8UKs.

Well, I'll put some more stuff in here.

At least with a Dish Network feed, I've increased sharpness up to +12. I had my 32" Toshiba perfectly calibrated with Avia, and had the sharpness turned way down. I had to crank up the Panasonic's before I could get them to be equivalent. Otherwise, the Panny's picture was too soft. Particularly easy to tell with text.

Also, I'm 90% sure that you can display PAL DVDs on this display without a PAL player. No HDMI blade yet, but I hooked up my DVD player via component today. I have a batch of "questionably sourced" DVDs that before, most of them I couldn't watch because of the scrolling with PAL. But I think via component, the 37pwd8uk locks on regardless of PAL or NTSC. I tried most of the ones I have, and they all locked on. The S-video input includes the Color System setting where you can specify PAL, but for the component input, that setting doesn't exist. Automatic I think. Pretty cool. I'll know more when I try to play the same DVDs on my wife's setup.

I find I'm using Zoom mode much more than Just or Full with 4:3 material. I just don't like stretch modes.

I also have turned on the video noise reduction for the Dish as a source. (Definitely not for DVD playback.) Seems to help a little with the "mottling" that goes on in the background due to Dish's compression.

One thing I will say, is that I should have gotten the 42". :) I was a little bit nervous about SDE at my 9 to10 ft viewing distance, so that's why I chose the smaller display. But even when I had it sitting on a crate in front of my stand (8 to 9 ft away?), no hints of it. But I'll hold on to this one for a while, and then it will move into my wife's system.

KCB, it's good to hear the continuing saga, and I'm still listening to hear about the floating blacks. Have you seen any movies or other source with black bars, and have you noticed any changing from black to gray or vice versa? Also did you check to see if the "Letter Box Mode" is an option in the service menu? I had to go back to Bruzzi's FAQ to recall the name of "the fix".

Here are my settings for TH-42PWD8UK (mine is about 400 hours old, calibrated with basic Avia)

PICTURE 0
BRIGHTNES -8
COLOUR 2
TINT -1
SHARPNES 0
COLOUR TEMP NORMAL
COLOUR MGM OFF
BLACK EXT. 2
INPUT LEVEL 0
W/B HIGH R 0
W/B HIGH B 0
W/B LOW R 0
W/B LOW B 0
GAMMA 2.2
AGC OFF


For the first 100 hours I have picture and brightness at –15 and all else on 0
:)

I have TH-42PWD8UK. I want to know if it is OK to leave the TV on but cable off for some time in the first 100 hours?

Will it get permanently damaged if the TV is left of but the cable (input) is left off?

Max for how many hours can you leave at this state?

MrK- Cool. I'll try what you have. What the heck. Until I get to the 100 hrs and have a chance to do Avia myself, I'd still like to try to get rid of the yellow tinge I have. (I know, I *could* do Avia now, but it's all about delayed gratification. ;) )

Tom- Still haven't watched a DVD all the way through. Super Bowl weekend got in the way. :)

Kevin,

Now that the SuperBowl is over, how are you doing with the normal viewing of your new panel? Any definitive word on the infamous "floating blacks"?

Still racking up hrs. I think I'm around 35 hrs now. Won't mess with the black thing until after 100.

Another thing I discovered though, the 8uk's have selectable 3:2 pulldown (which the consumer models do not) and what I assume is simple line doubling. (Have to have some way of going from 480i to 480p which is native to the plasma.) I was watching a "std" 1 hr drama thing, and having 3:2 pulldown off definitely was the way to go. I presume because the source was video. But neat that we have the choice of 3:2 pulldown for film sources. (TV movie of the week maybe.)

Here are my settings for TH-42PWD8UK (mine is about 400 hours old, calibrated with basic Avia)

PICTURE 0
BRIGHTNES -8
COLOUR 2
TINT -1
SHARPNES 0
COLOUR TEMP NORMAL
COLOUR MGM OFF
BLACK EXT. 2
INPUT LEVEL 0
W/B HIGH R 0
W/B HIGH B 0
W/B LOW R 0
W/B LOW B 0
GAMMA 2.2
AGC OFF


For the first 100 hours I have picture and brightness at –15 and all else on 0
:)

mrkeeling,

My 42pwd8uk is set to be delivered on Monday!! It cannot get here fast enough. Would you recommend that I follow your settings for optimal pq before and after 100 hrs? I don't have the Avia disc yet. Do the same plasma models usually use the same settings or does it differ from tv to tv?

TH-37PWD8UK with Voom OTA tuner, native res., over component.

Overscan less than 2.5%

(first 75 hrs)

(Standard and Cinema)
Picture -5
Brightness -10
Colour -6
Tint -1
Sharpness 0
Colour Temp Normal
Colour Mgm Off
Black Ext. 0
Input Level 0
W/b High R 0
W/b High B 0
W/b Low R 0
W/b Low B 0
Gamma 2.2
Agc Off

Post Break In - Pre Back Light
(Standard - Cinema -2 from Picture and Brightness settings)
Picture -3
Brightness -6
Colour -4
Tint -1
ShSharpness
Colour Temp Normal
Colour Mgm Off
Black Ext. 0
Input Level 0
W/b High R 0
W/b High B 0
W/b Low R 0
W/b Low B 0
Gamma 2.2
Agc Off


After DVE tuning
(Standard For Daytime Viewing)

The settings above were crushing blacks and generally dingy compared to the settings below.

Picture 5
Brightness 0
Colour -3
Tint -1
SSharpness0
Colour Temp Warm
Colour Mgm Off
Black Ext. 0
Input Level 0
W/b High R 0
W/b High B 0
W/b Low R 0
W/b Low B 0
Gamma 2.2
Agc Off

With Back Light and DVE tuning

The back light eliminated the eye-strain I was experiencing with the settings above and now that it is properly adjusted, it allows me to drink in more color and detail at night.

(Cinema For Night Viewing)
Picture 3
Brightness -1
Colour -3
Tint -1
Sharpness 0
Colour Temp Warm
Colour Mgm Off
Black Ext. 0
Input Level 0
W/b High R 0
W/b High B 0
W/b Low R 0
W/b Low B 0
Gamma 2.2
Agc Off

I run my DVD player in progressive mode with a component to vga cable. I have the picture and brightness set 2-3 notches lower than the settings above.


I'm not sold on the warm temperature setting, at times it seems to yellowish and limey green. This weekend I'm going to retune my settings using normal color temp.

You rock! :)

After I saw MrK's settings, I also switched from warm to normal, and it also did take care of my yellow/blue problem.

Man, I can't get to 100 hrs fast enough. ;)

I have now seen floating blacks, or what I like to call "dynamic contrast".

Two ways. One is with a nonamamorphic DVD in Normal aspect ratio. Grey bars to the sides and black bars top and bottom. (Obviously, you don't want to watch a movie this way. ;) ) Tremors is the movie, but any movie with credits at the end with white text on a black background will do. While the credits are playing, you can see different shades of grey off to the sides where the white text is vs the black in between the text. In this case, the credits are rolling, so you can also see the shades of grey scrolling too.

The 2nd way is with the picture menu itself. Again, normal aspect ratio so the grey bars are on the sides. When you bring up the Picture menu, each indivudal item has a blue background, but in between the blue is sort of grayish. When you look to the gray bars to the sides, the grey there is a different shade to the right of the text for each menu item vs in between the text.

Unfortunately, this was a rental, so I need to find a movie that I have where I can see this so I can possibly find a way to get rid of it. :)

mrkeeling,

My 42pwd8uk is set to be delivered on Monday!! It cannot get here fast enough. Would you recommend that I follow your settings for optimal pq before and after 100 hrs? I don't have the Avia disc yet. Do the same plasma models usually use the same settings or does it differ from tv to tv?I would say that it most definitely differs.
You can see it from this thread and from others that talk about picture settings. It may not be the difference in each TV as much as a difference in our viewing environments and personal preferences.

I would say that, for the first 100 hours, picture and brightness settings at –15, if not optimal, they are most definitely safe.
:)

Warm vs Normal Color Temp

I didn't watch as much one-eyed parent as I planned this weekend, life got in the way. But here is what I've come up with so far. I'll have time for more tweaking later this week.

Ended up sticking with the warm temp for the DVD I watched (Return of the Jedi with the Kids) and for a little bit of the Bond movie I watched in HD on CBS or was it ABC? I thought the skin tones seemed a touch more natural and the overall feel was more film like. I ended watching the Olympics with normal color temp and the picture setting turned down a couple of notches. The whites seemed whiter, important when your watching snow and ice, and the colors more vibrant. I also tried watching with NR on to battle the sometimes noisy content--didn't work. No significant decrease in noise, while making the picture dull and motion less natural.

Kevin,

Were you able to verify if the PWD8UK has the "LetterBox Mode" option that Bruzzi has listed on his site as the "fix" for the floating blacks, or is that feature only on the 37" & 42" HD models? Thanks, and hope you are loving your set!

tom- Only the HD models have that letterbox mode. But ... I think it's been said (somewhere) that the floating blacks are worse on those two displays.

ak- I think that I know that "warm" is closer to the recommended 6500k color temp, but at least without Avia so far, I prefer normal. (But I have only compared warm vs normal for satellite programming.) I need to check my hrs sometime. Might hit 100 by this weekend.

I just got my HDMI board, need to install that too.

I have now seen floating blacks, or what I like to call "dynamic contrast".



The correct terminology for this is "poor dc restoration". C-net has a explanation in there "How we test tv's" and it shows they rate dc restoration on tv's either poor, average, and good. There are plasma's that have a good rating so all plasma's aren't affected by this problem. A good rating states all patterns stable. Also this board has too many names for this condition. We should condense it to one.

ak- I think that I know that "warm" is closer to the recommended 6500k color temp, but at least without Avia so far, I prefer normal.I can set saturation and hue spot on whit Avia’s blue filter and color set to “normal”.
As far as I remember “warm” setting didn’t produce such results, but I’ll have to re-check.

The correct terminology for this is "poor dc restoration".

Nope. DC restoration is only applicable to CRT displays. Has to do with how robust the power supply is that drives the 3 electron guns. The cause for a plasma is completely different. *They* are incorrectly using the term. Hence the many descriptors here: floating blacks, dynamic contrast, and an oldie but goodie, "changing black levels".

Kevin,

Knowing what you know right now, would you buy the 42" PWD8 (which does NOT have the Letterbox Fix") or the 42" PHD8 which does have the "fix" ? I am planning to use this set in the bedroom with a viewing distance of about 15'-17', so the SDE doesn't seem to be a significant an issue for me.

OK, I have been asking that question myself. What to get *next*. (Plan is to keep this one in my system for 6-24 months, then it goes to my wife, then I get something else.)

I use Zoom mode 95% of the time. To be honest, I'm surprised by how good it looks in that it is doing a certain amount of upscaling to do that. One fear I had was SD being upscaled to an HD display and the quality. But if Panasonic does SD to 720p or 768p as well as it does the zoom mode on the ED 37", I'd have less heartburn going for the phd. As far as floatings blacks, for me with my current settings, it's a nonissue. Like a bunch of others have posted. :) But I couldn't know that for sure until I had a set here to ... experiment on. But, I still want to see if I can get rid of it. I'm convinced it's that sub brightness or sub contrast parameter.

For you at 13-14 ft, I don't think you'd be able to see a difference between ED and HD in terms of resolution. (I'm at 9-10ft, and even at that distance, the difference is negligable. I use 8 ft as the line for 42" between ED and HD.) So really, it's just the extra cost to be able to for sure turn off floating blacks.

I agree with your analysis,,,,extra cost of about $800 just to be sure that I could turn off the floating blacks. And another $500 would get the NEC XR4. By the way, have you read the posts by jsf2001 concerning the 8 series HDMI board? I think that he has uncovered something significant there, and if you have not yet acquired an HDMI blade, I believe that you are in a position to test the 14-bit processing capability of the PWD8UK. Anyway, thanks for your posts, and continued good wishes. TB

I will have to look up the info on the HDMI board. The last I knew, was that the fb7hm and fb8hm were identical, except for some additional PAL options for the new one.

I will have to look up the info on the HDMI board. The last I knew, was that the fb7hm and fb8hm were identical, except for some additional PAL options for the new one.

Kevin:

Check out page 7 of the TY-FB7HM manual:
http://panasonic.biz/pdp/manual/manual/operating_instructions/ty/fb/ty_fb7hm.pdf

Compare this to page 7 of the TY-FB8HM manual:
http://panasonic.biz/pdp/manual/manual/operating_instructions/ty/fb/ty_fb8hm.pdf

In particular, check out the differences between the 2 manuals for the 1125/60i signal source (1080i signal). The 7 series board notes that it will display 540 active lines and 562.5 total lines. The 8 series board notes that it will display 1080 active lines and 1125 total lines. To me, this suggests that the 7 series board "bobs" 1080i display sources while the 8 series board displays a full 1080 line equivalent after deinterlacing content. Regardless, I can tell you that HDMI on the 8UK series will result in significant picture improvement over component.

Hey thanks! :) Good eye on that detail (hee, hee). For me for right now, I guess I'm ok because I'm using the fb7hm with the 37" ED display. I suppose if I ever go HD input, on this or my next Panny commercial HD display ;), then it becomes a concern. Too bad Panasonic was never that clear about any of this.

I need some help... my 42PWD8UK arrived last Thursday but since I bought it in Taiwan, it came with a Chinese manual. I downloadded the English manual and have been using it. I've also set up my Logitech Harmony 659 remote for TV watching/movie watching. I've gone in and set the TV to "Standard" and dialed down the settings basically to what is recommended above. My unit has the NTSC tuner in it and a cable box for the satellite channels. To go between the basic cable channels and the satellite box, I used the TV/Video button.

My problem is when I turn the TV on, the picture is set to Dynamic rather than Standard. So I change it back to Standard and when I hit the TV/Video button to get to the satellite box, it goes back to Dynamic. So my workaround was to set the Dynamic mode to the same settings as Standard but it defaults back to the factory settings when I turn set on again.

What am I doing wrong? Thanks in advance

That's strange. Once you change it, it should stick. After you make the change, you hit the R button on the remote? The only other thing I can think of is to do a sort of reset. Unplug it. Wait 10 min, and then see if the behavior changes.

Kevin:

Check out page 7 of the TY-FB7HM manual:
http://panasonic.biz/pdp/manual/manual/operating_instructions/ty/fb/ty_fb7hm.pdf

Compare this to page 7 of the TY-FB8HM manual:
http://panasonic.biz/pdp/manual/manual/operating_instructions/ty/fb/ty_fb8hm.pdf

In particular, check out the differences between the 2 manuals for the 1125/60i signal source (1080i signal). The 7 series board notes that it will display 540 active lines and 562.5 total lines. The 8 series board notes that it will display 1080 active lines and 1125 total lines. To me, this suggests that the 7 series board "bobs" 1080i display sources while the 8 series board displays a full 1080 line equivalent after deinterlacing content. Regardless, I can tell you that HDMI on the 8UK series will result in significant picture improvement over component.
Will the 8 series board work in the 7 series plasma?

Will the 8 series board work in the 7 series plasma?
Nope.

Edit: Change that to maybe. I did read somewhere that an 8 series board will work in a 7 series display. It was on some retailers page. Sorry bout that if I'm wrong.

I am not sure about that. I am pretty sure I have seen at least one person who did get a fb8hm to work in a 7uy. Forget what the manual says.

Saw it in one of the many fb7hm/fb8hm/hdmi threads.

Another thing I discovered though, the 8uk's have selectable 3:2 pulldown (which the consumer models do not) and what I assume is simple line doubling. (Have to have some way of going from 480i to 480p which is native to the plasma.) I was watching a "std" 1 hr drama thing, and having 3:2 pulldown off definitely was the way to go. I presume because the source was video. But neat that we have the choice of 3:2 pulldown for film sources. (TV movie of the week maybe.)

How do you get to the 3:2 pulldown? I received my 428UK on Friday -- what a nice addition to the home! Had some friends over last night and they were floored. I only have DVD on VGA component right now and am breaking in with zoomed "Finding Nemo". Don't even have sound yet. I ran the THX setup for starters and the picture is already fabulous. I'm still flipping between 480i and 480p DVD output -- liking 480p a little better at this point but need more time. :) :D

3:2 pulldown: see pg 17 of the manual. In the 2nd section from the top with the 4 "To SIGNAL screen ..." parts.

Is anybody using a Motorola DCT6400 DVR with DVI? The DVR users guide says DVI is better than component -- can anybody confirm if this is really true with the PWD8UK? Thanks!

OK, DVI is a subset of HDMI. I can tell you that with a Pioneer 59AVi, the HDMI output is slightly better than component. But the Pio player tests better with HDMI if you look up its review on Secrets. You'd really need to find out how the DVI output of DVR compares with its component output. So basically, you need to compare yourself. :)

WOBBLING: Automatically shifts the display image at a dot level pitch (therefore unnoticeable to the eye) over time to
prevent after image of sharper contour of image.

PEAK LIMIT: Suppresses image contrast (peak brightness).
Note: When a still picture is viewed for an extended time, the screen may become slightly darker.

Is anybody using these?

I use wobbling, but not peak limit.

I don't think I changed any of those. Just kept them at their default values, whatever those are. :)

I've been back and forth about buying the HDMI (or DVI) card for my 42PWD8UK. My install is a bit of a PITA, I would ultimately have to take the set down and re-install when done changing blades. So my question is...do you guys think it's worth it? Is the picture that much better than component? I have to say that my component picture is definitely satisfying, but better is always...better!

Thanks,
B-

I've been back and forth about buying the HDMI (or DVI) card for my 42PWD8UK. My install is a bit of a PITA, I would ultimately have to take the set down and re-install when done changing blades. So my question is...do you guys think it's worth it? Is the picture that much better than component? I have to say that my component picture is definitely satisfying, but better is always...better!

Thanks,
B-
I read this and decided -- no. (http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/dvihdmicomponent.htm) But, I too would like to hear from those who are using blades. :)

It will depend on your source. If you go over to Secret's there are a lot of DVD players that definitely do have better output with HDMI vs component. (My Pio 59AVi is one.) But there actually are also cases where the components outputs are better. It's all about implementation.

But even with that all in mind, HDMI is still theoretically better because you keep the signal in the digital realm all the way to the display. With component, you have to do an extra D to A then A back to D conversion. That conversion may or may not affect video quality. And not in a good way.

I wish Panasonic had devised a scheme such that you could replace these boards with the display still on the stand. In my case, I got the display 1st, watched it for 2 weeks until my HDMI board showed up, then I had to take it off the stand, install the board, and put it back on the stand. Juts a pain in the arse. But also in my case, I felt I got a small if significant improvement in the picture too.

But even with that all in mind, HDMI is still theoretically better because you keep the signal in the digital realm all the way to the display. With component, you have to do an extra D to A then A back to D conversion. That conversion may or may not affect video quality. And not in a good way.

Not sure why there'd be 2 conversions feeding component into my display but, ok. I would think there's more processing going on with HDMI. For a STB, Isn't digital "all the way to the display" really a matter of a few feet? I suppose there's some benefit to DVD -- especially HD-DVD/BR. Anywho, whatever works best. :)

More on HDMI & Component..

This guy likes component better for cable. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7894583&&#post7894583)

I've been tweaking my Comcast HD-STB and Display for SD. I've changed the STB 4:3 override output from 480i to 480p and set display aspect to "Just" mode.

Man! It looks really good! :eek: 480p makes much better blacks than 480i. The "Just" mode, while not perfect, is quite good for SD and fills the whole screen. I'd say high quality SD is almost as good as DVD. Watched part of Survivor All-Star's on OLN, was probably HD at one time, and it looked shockingly good in SD. Same with all my SD HBO channels! It will probably look even better once broke-in.

This cheap EDTV continues to amaze -- what a bargain!

In keeping with the purpose of this thread, I just did a preliminary calibration of my 42PWD8UK and thought I would post my settings.

I calibrated both my S-Video and Component inputs using Digital Video Essentials. (I would have done my HDMI input too, but my DVD/HDD recorder doesn't have DVI/HDMI out.) The results were very interesting.

I started with both inputs set to Cinema using the Standard color temperature, and all settings set to zero. Interestingly enough, these settings were almost dead on for most of the parameters! Brightness was the only setting that needed to be moved from zero any significant amount.

Anyway, here are my Picture settings for Component/S-Video:

Picture: 0/0
Brightness: -11/-10
Color: 0/0
Tint: 0/0
Sharpness: 1/1

What is most remarkable to me is that the settings for both inputs were virtually identical, which I think speaks very highly about the Panny's consistency in video processing.

The Sharpness should probably be set to zero as well, but going from 0 to 1 showed a signficant sharpening without introducing hardly any false information, so I decided to leave it on 1.

Color was bang on when working with the blue filter. There were some small decoding errors in the red channel, and more significant ones in the green channel. When I attempted to correct these with the Tint control, however, it just put the blue out of whack, so decided to leave it where it was.

As I said, Brightness needed to be turned down significantly, and WOW do those deep blacks kick ass now! I DID see some of the dreaded black-level shift as I was flipping back and forth between a couple of the pluge patterns, but it was only noticeable because of the pattern itself. You would never notice it watching normal TV, IMO.

The one setting I really don't have a handle on is Picture (contrast). Looking at the various grey ramp test patterns, I couldn't figure out where to put it, so I left it in the middle at zero. (DVE does NOT give a good explanation of how to set contrast on non-CRT sets!) I could crank it all the way up without clipping the whites or losing the deepest blacks, so I'll probably turn it up a bit later once the set is thoroughly broken in. If anyone can offer any insight into how to properly set the contrast I would LOVE t hear it!

Overscan requried virtually no adjustment either. It was about 2.5% all round on both inputs.

The one setting I really don't have a handle on is Picture (contrast). Looking at the various grey ramp test patterns, I couldn't figure out where to put it, so I left it in the middle at zero. (DVE does NOT give a good explanation of how to set contrast on non-CRT sets!) I could crank it all the way up without clipping the whites or losing the deepest blacks, so I'll probably turn it up a bit later once the set is thoroughly broken in. If anyone can offer any insight into how to properly set the contrast I would LOVE t hear it!

Overscan requried virtually no adjustment either. It was about 2.5% all round on both inputs.I agree that setting picture (white level) is quite a challenge.

I used AVIA to calibrate my TH42PWD8UK and had the same results trying to calibrate white level as you did with DVE.
What I found is that adjusting picture setting with real content (a movie, not patterns) seems to be easier. I just set it to the level that gives me the most pleasing picture.
Here are my current settings:
PICTURE (WHITE) 8
BRIGHTNESS (BLACK) -9
COLOUR -1
TINT 0
SHARPNESS 1
COLOUR TEMP NORMAL
COLOUR MGM OFF
BLACK EXT. 1
INPUT LEVEL -4
W/B HIGH R 0
W/B HIGH B 0
W/B LOW R 0
W/B LOW B 0
GAMMA 2.2
AGC OFF

What is interesting is that HQV Benchmark DVD showed that I get better performance using 480i input form my Pioneer DV45A then when using 480p.
Another thing to point out is that the whites were clipped when input level was set to 0. Setting input level to –4 fixed that.
:)

I purchased the 42PWD8UK last night from Cleveland Plasma. Hopefully it will arrive sometime next week. I'm looking forward to getting the TV and tweaking it for great DVD and digital cable use. I'll be using component for both DVD and from the HD digital box I pick up from Time Warner sometime next week.

I debated for a long time with ED vs HD (not trying to start a debate here) and decided that ED best fit my budget and viewing needs. I mainly watch Digital cable and regular DVDs, but will watch some HD now (which I read still looks great on this TV). My viewing distance is between 9' and 10'.

My DVD player is a Philips DVP642 progress scan player. I'm upgrading from a 27" Sony KV-FS100 that I bought about 3 years ago. It plays SD and digital cable very well (to my eyes) hopefully the 8UK is at least equal to that with SD/Digital, but I'm expecting a step up with DVD and HD signal.

I'll post more once I receive the TV. I can't wait to play with all these settings.

I've got myself a little paranoid about my TV arriving with dead or stuck pixels. How frequently does this happen? I hope that mine arrives safely and in good condition. Only a few more days and I'll have my first plasma, and TV bigger than 27" for that matter.

The chances of having dead/stuck pixels on an ED plasma are EXTREMELY low. I wouldn't worry about it.

Thanks for the reassurance. I've got my fingers crossed. After a tracking update from the shippers last night it looks like the TV will be here probably Thursday. The stand however isn't scheduled to arrive via Fedex until NEXT MONDAY! I had huge DVD plans for over the weekend. Oh well, maybe I can rig up something temporary until the stand gets here. Probably shouldn't take the chance though. It'll get here when it gets here I suppose.

Now the TV and stand are scheduled to both arrive on Monday. Can't wait for them to get here.

Feel like I'm talking to myself here, but whats the normal break in settings? I've seen posted above -15 for brightness and contrast, is that good or conservative. I was thinking -5 for b&c and then adjusting sharpness a little bit. The first 100 hours are going to be hard not to play with the settings, but I know it will help in the long run.

I hope it looks good, I've been double guessing myself since I've had so long to think about it between the time that I bought the TV and when it arrives. I'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully are those good reviews were right on.

Now the TV and stand are scheduled to both arrive on Monday. Can't wait for them to get here.

Feel like I'm talking to myself here, but whats the normal break in settings? I've seen posted above -15 for brightness and contrast, is that good or conservative. I was thinking -5 for b&c and then adjusting sharpness a little bit. The first 100 hours are going to be hard not to play with the settings, but I know it will help in the long run.

I hope it looks good, I've been double guessing myself since I've had so long to think about it between the time that I bought the TV and when it arrives. I'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully are those good reviews were right on.
You won't be disappointed, trust me!

In terms of break-in settings, you can't really talk about numbers unless you are also talking about which mode you are in because a setting of zero in Cinema is not the same as a zero in Standard mode -- it would be more like -15. (I wouldn't even think about using Dynamic mode, especially not during break-in.)

Personally, I set all inputs to Cinema mode and then set everything to zero for break-in. Like I said above, these settings turned out to be almost bang on after calibration too, except for Brightness, which I had to turn down even LOWER. In any event, these settings are plenty safe during the break-in period.

Let us know how it goes!

Anyone care to share what DVD player they are using with the 8UK and if the results are good. Right now I have a Philips DVP642 set up in interlace mode on my 27" Sony CRT. It produces good results on that, but I'm weary of using if in progressive mode on the plasma. I've heard some bad things about its progressive capabilities. I'll try it in both interlaced and progressive modes using component cables before I go too crazy and buy a new DVD player.

Are there any suggestions for good progressive units? I've heard good things about older Panasonic XP30 and XP50, but a brief browse on eBay proved them to be in short supply.

Thanks for your break-in suggestions. I'll gladly take a look at those once the TV arrives Moday. I'm getting very antsy.

edit:

I was also reading a review on the 42PHD8UK and this caught my eye.

When changing the signal from a DVD player to 480I from 480P, there is now an almost imperceptible decrease noticed in the picture quality on this plasma TV. This is due to the new and improved internal progressive scan conversion circuitry in the unit. It does an excellent job of line doubling the signal. An excellent 3:2 pulldown conversion chip for film and video processing is also included to deliver clear, smooth images from film sources.

http://www.*******************.com/plasmatvreviews/panasonic-th42phd8uk-review.html

Is this true for the PWD8UK as well. If it is I'm hoping the interlaced signal from my DVD player shows up well.

I'm using an LG HDD/DVD recorder (ZRH-516) that I bought around Christmas. It seems to do a decent job, but I too have been meaning to find out if the TV does a better job with the progressive conversion. Right now, I'm letting the recorder handle it. I really wish there were a way to do a side-by-side comparison.

I have a 42PWD8UK as well as a Pioneer PDP-4312HD (in different rooms) and like the ED Panasonic at least as well as the HD Pioneer. When viewing an HD source from about 9' my eyes really can't tell that I'm watching an ED screen -- the picture looks fantastic. Factor in the cost savings and the Panasonic's superior black levels and the Panasonic looks like a really good purchase.

For DVD players, both displays are now connected to upconverting Samsung players via HDMI with great results. The P42PWD8UK was originally connected to an Oppo OPDV971H DVD player which also produced a nice picture. I didn't like some of the operational quirks of the Oppo, so I recently replaced it with a Samsung DVD-HD960, which also uses the "DCDi By Faroudja" circuitry. I haven't tried it via component-- just HDMI -- but the DVD-HD960 produces a excellent, detailed picture with the P42PWD8UK.

http://www.samsung.com/Products/DVDPlayer/HiDefConversion/DVD_HD960XAA.asp

TV is here, stand should arrive later today. I'm at work now just waiting for the day to go by so I can hook everything up. The TV survived the shipping with no visable problems. I can't wait to get everything running tonight.

I have a 42PWD8UK as well as a Pioneer PDP-4312HD (in different rooms) and like the ED Panasonic at least as well as the HD Pioneer. When viewing an HD source from about 9' my eyes really can't tell that I'm watching an ED screen -- the picture looks fantastic. Factor in the cost savings and the Panasonic's superior black levels and the Panasonic looks like a really good purchase.

For DVD players, both displays are now connected to upconverting Samsung players via HDMI with great results. The P42PWD8UK was originally connected to an Oppo OPDV971H DVD player which also produced a nice picture. I didn't like some of the operational quirks of the Oppo, so I recently replaced it with a Samsung DVD-HD960, which also uses the "DCDi By Faroudja" circuitry. I haven't tried it via component-- just HDMI -- but the DVD-HD960 produces a excellent, detailed picture with the P42PWD8UK.

http://www.samsung.com/Products/DVDPlayer/HiDefConversion/DVD_HD960XAA.asp
I'm curious why you chose an upconverting player for an ED display. Do you actually use the upconversion feature?

I'm curious why you chose an upconverting player for an ED display. Do you actually use the upconversion feature?

That's a good point. I suppose I purchased it because I originally bought an upconverting DVD player for my HD Pioneer plasma and liked it so much I decided to get another for the ED Panasonic.

Another factor was the ability to use HDMI instead of separate component and digital audio cables for connections. I've had pretty good results with HDMI and now prefer it over other connection methods. I haven't found many (any?) non-upconverting DVD players that have HDMI connectors.

I should do a comparison test with an older non-upconverting DVD player I have to see if I really notice a difference on the Panasonic. The upconverting feature is definitely "on" at the DVD player, outputting a 720p signal over HDMI.

I guess one thing going through my mind was the noticeable difference broadcast HDTV content makes over SD (even at ED resolution), so I thought I might be able to realize the same benefits with DVD content upconverted to near-HD resolution. With all of the upconverting and downconverting going on, though, it may be all smoke and mirrors. I'll test with the older DVD player to see.

...With all of the upconverting and downconverting going on, though, it may be all smoke and mirrors. I'll test with the older DVD player to see.VERY curious to hear the outcome :D

So I got everything up and running last night, so far so good. The HD cable box has a component cable for HD sources and an S-Video for non-HD sources. I thought with the compenent cable I would be able to change the aspect of SD programs to Just, but its locked on Full for everything, HD and SD. So I'm running the S-Video on Just. Just mode doesn't look as bad as I expected it to. Fairly tolerable. I hooked up my DVD player with a VGA-Component cable, set to progressive. Watched V for Vendetta on Zoom last night, Full mode left black bars on its 2:35 original aspect ratio (a no, no I've read for the first 100 hours). DVD performance was ok. Its hard to judge though since I have settings knocked back and it in Full mode. I did adjust overscan. It was at about 3.5 and now I have it at about 1 all the way around. I don't know for the DVD input if I should get rid of overscan all together. My DVD player is kind of crappy too I think. It's the Philips DVP642, which besides its "reads anything" capability gets a big MEH in PQ and performance.

My settings for break-in are on Cinema for each source,

PICTURE (WHITE) -5
BRIGHTNESS (BLACK) -10
COLOUR -3
TINT 0
SHARPNESS -3
COLOUR TEMP NORMAL
COLOUR MGM OFF
BLACK EXT. 0
INPUT LEVEL 0
W/B HIGH R 0
W/B HIGH B 0
W/B LOW R 0
W/B LOW B 0
GAMMA 2.2
AGC OFF

Are those ok? I plan on leaving the settings there for the 100 hour break-in period and then adjusting with Avia and Rich's "Steaming Rat" method. Can't wait to see this bad boy perform to its full potential. The break-in period will be worth the wait if it helps prolong the life of the Plasma.

VERY curious to hear the outcome :D

So am I. Like I said before my DVD player is so-so. It’s a night and day difference between HD signal PQ and DVD PQ. If this makes DVDs more resemble HDTV I'd be sold. However if the result is only semi-noticeable I'd be less inclined to shell out the money for a new DVD player.

deleted

So I got everything up and running last night, so far so good. The HD cable box has a component cable for HD sources and an S-Video for non-HD sources. I thought with the compenent cable I would be able to change the aspect of SD programs to Just, but its locked on Full for everything, HD and SD.

What kind of HD box is it? I doubt that you need to use two outputs -- try removing the s-video.

I just turned my brightness and contrast down to 0. Remember that each input needs to be set.

Its the Scientific Atlanta 3100HD I think. I'm at work right now, but am pretty sure thats right. Its not the HD-DVR. Cable is through Time Warner. I thought I would only need one, but when I had only the component cable plugged in it would adjust the aspect. I even tried all of the different conversions within the box (i.e. pass through and upconvert). I didn't play with it for very long, so I might have to take another look. I'm just not really sure what I'm doing wrong. It'd be a lot easier to just have one Input set up for cable and another for DVD.

I have each input set up for break-in. I might push the contrast and brightness up closer to 0 and see how it looks. Looks pretty good now, except a little bit of detail is being lost in blacks.

What kind of HD box is it? I doubt that you need to use two outputs -- try removing the s-video.

I just turned my brightness and contrast down to 0. Remember that each input needs to be set.
Actually, I've heard of this problem. Some STBs output signals over component and DVI/HDMI in such a way that the TV thinks it's HD, even when it's only SD.

FWIW, I *choose* to watch SD over S-Video (even though I can control the aspect over HDMI) because I prefer the picture. I find that it's less noisy with fewer artifacts around the edges of things. I liked how contrasty the HDMI connection made SD look, but I also found it was a little too dark and was crushing all the blacks. I couldn't correct this SD problem without throwing my HD brightness out of whack, which is why I stuck with S-Vid for SD. Yeah, it's a bit of a pain having to switch inputs, but Harmony eases the pain. :)

brady239: Those settings are fine. Even if you abused the set, I'd say you'd be unlikely to see much IR with those settings.

plasma_cricket: If you're a gamer or plan to use it with a computer, I would say definitely use the break-in CD first. If not, I wouldn't worry about it. Just turn down your settings and watch everything in Full, Just or Zoom mode. I burnt a copy of the CD and used it on a previous 8UK, but I didn't use it with my PWD8UK. I haven't noticed a single iota of IR, but I've been sensible too.

Its the Scientific Atlanta 3100HD I think. I'm at work right now, but am pretty sure thats right. Its not the HD-DVR. Cable is through Time Warner. I thought I would only need one, but when I had only the component cable plugged in it would adjust the aspect. I even tried all of the different conversions within the box (i.e. pass through and upconvert). I didn't play with it for very long, so I might have to take another look.
Can you set it to output SD at 480i? That would be your best bet -- although pass-through *should* have worked too.

AFAIK adjusting aspect ration on Pany works on signals “up to” 480p regardless of what input you use. For HD signals (720p/1080i) it is locked in full.
S-video can not transmit anything higher than 480i. (This stands for NTSC standard of course)
:)

Now that I think about it, the box is the 3250HD, I checked a picture out on the TW website. The output choices I have are,

Fixed
Passthrough
Upconvert 1
Upconvert 2

If I set it fixed to 480i won't it inable me from watching "HD" channels (I know its an EDTV)? I wish it was 5pm...

edit: Can I see what type of signal (480i, 480p, 720p, etc.) the TV is receiving/displaying? I thought I read somewhere how to do it but couldn't find it last night.

Now that I think about it, the box is the 3250HD, I checked a picture out on the TW website. The output choices I have are,

Fixed
Passthrough
Upconvert 1
Upconvert 2

If I set it fixed to 480i won't it inable me from watching "HD" channels (I know its an EDTV)? I wish it was 5pm...

edit: Can I see what type of signal (480i, 480p, 720p, etc.) the TV is receiving/displaying? I thought I read somewhere how to do it but couldn't find it last night.
I don't know that particular STB, but those settings sound like they apply to SD signals only. ("Upconvert" doesn't make much sense in any other context.) I'm betting that HD signals simply get passed through to the TV regardless of which setting you choose.

If there's a way to display the incoming signal, I haven't found it either.

I think I read that,

Upconvert 1 does 480i -> 480p and 720p -> 1080i

Upconvert 2 does 480i -> 720p and 720p -> 1080i

Could have been wrong though. I'll play some more tonight and post my findings. I like that we're breathing a little bit of life into this thread.

edit to add:

I was close,

Output Mode Explanations:
Fixed - Displays all content at whatever resolution you selected, based on what you selected in the wizard. You force the output to a single output and the box scales to that input. Easily changed in the settings menu of the box.
Pass Through - Passes the input signal through to the output with no change, unless you disable certain resolutions. For example 480i in to 480i out, 480P in to 480P out, 1080i in to 1080i out, 720P in to 720P out. If you disable 720P, 720P in will go to 1080i out.
Auto DVI - If you are using the DVI port, you will see this option instead of the Pass Through option. Resolution is automatically formatted to the scan rate supported by the TV.
UpConvert 1 - All 480i and 480P signals get upconverted to 480P. All 720P and 1080i signals get upconverted to 1080i.
UpConvert 2 - All 480i and 480P signals get upconverted to 480P. All 720P and 1080i signals get converted to 720P.


From this thread,

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=346428&highlight=3250hd

I knew I read it somewhere. I'm going to read through that and hopefully get things sorted out tonight.

How to display the incoming signal:
Bruzzi's FAQ #46 (http://www.bruzzi.ws/plasma-faq/showthread.php?t=33)

How to display the incoming signal:
Bruzzi's FAQ #46 (http://www.bruzzi.ws/plasma-faq/showthread.php?t=33)
Thanks, Mister K. :o What would we do without Bruzzi?

:) :) :)

So I went home last night and ran the set-up wizard on my box, choosing every avaliable output. Something must not have been set up correctly from TW originally. I'm now using the 'Upconvert 1' setting as described above and the HD channels come in locked on 'Full' and the SD/Digital channels are able to have their aspect modified to 'Just'. Works fine now. Time's ticking away on the 100 hour break in.

Instructions for the Setup Wizard
1) Turn off power then press both the GUIDE and INFO buttons at the same time
2) Choose Easy or Advanced setup - Easy selects 480i and 1080i outputs only - Advanced allows TV type and user selected outputs
3) Follow instructions on the screen to set your output resolutions - READ carefully in advanced mode- If the screen goes blank, it is showing a resolution your TV does not support and you have to disable that output. It will cycle through all resolutions for 30 seconds each if no user input is given.

Anyone else have any DVD player suggestions with the 8UK?

Reading over in the DVD section and someone apparently has hacked the Oppo 970 so that you can upconvert over component. I'm waiting for some verification that this indeed works without any side effects. If it really works I'm definatly going to give the 970 a shot.

I recently got my plasma and am in the break-in period. I am using the following settings as quoted by akpokey.

DVD PQ is great.. But watching SD via composite is pale and the colors are so unnatural... Whites are too bright... Is it the settings or the composite connection... (the STB I have does only has the composite. )

Do I need to get a HD box to get a better quality or can I make it a better with adjustment to the settings?? Any help is appreciated.

TH-37PWD8UK with Voom OTA tuner, native res., over component.

Overscan less than 2.5%

(first 75 hrs)

(Standard and Cinema)
Picture -5
Brightness -10
Colour -6
Tint -1
Sharpness 0
Colour Temp Normal
Colour Mgm Off
Black Ext. 0
Input Level 0
W/b High R 0
W/b High B 0
W/b Low R 0
W/b Low B 0
Gamma 2.2
Agc Off
.

I would definatly get the HD box, the HD channels look great on mine. Don't forget that you have 2 component inputs with the 8UK, one is the regular component and then you can get a component to VGA cable and use that as a second source. Either that or you can buy the HDMI blade for use with the HD Box. I use component and again the HD channels look great. I'm on hour 55 so far everything is super. Can't wait to not have to watch DVDs in 'Zoom'.

I'm also debating on getting the Oppo 970 DVD player as I said above. Still waiting to see a little more feedback on upconverting over component. People are saying its a great 480P player to begin with and I'm becoming more and more convinced that mine's a piece of junk .

I might bump up the color to -3 or -2, you don't need to worry about that for break in. I have both my contrast and brightness set around -5 now and it looks awesome.

I have both my contrast and brightness set around -5 now and it looks awesome.

Mine have been between -3 and +9 since day one -- no worries.

I tried both your settings and the whites are still too white.
Do you see improvement on the non-HD channels with the HD STB?

I tried both your settings and the whites are still too white.
Do you see improvement on the non-HD channels with the HD STB?
Sorry - never used composite and never used SD-STB. Get an HD-STB and component cables and you'll be very happy -- I promise! :)

PS: You can tone down your whites using peak limit in the screen saver section.

I picked up the HD Box before my TV arrived so I can't answer that one. My settings may be a bit bright for SD viewing, I knock them both back a tad for SD shows. For DVDs I like where I have it a lot even thought I'll play around a bit more after I reach the 100 hour mark. Don't listen to us though on where you settle for the picture settings, it's all about what looks good to you.

Have you tried either of Rich's methods for picture adjustment? Give these links a look if you have some tweaking time.

Rich's Steaming Rat (http://www.bruzzi.ws/plasma-faq/showthread.php?t=9)

Rich's Polishing a Turd (http://www.bruzzi.ws/plasma-faq/showthread.php?t=8)

Thanks. I got all the component cables ready. Will get the HD box in the next couple of days.
Another question, after the break-in (100 hours or so), is it safe to watch DVDs in non-zoom mode?

PLASMA BREAK-IN

Like a fine new automobile, the performance of a plasma TV can be optimized by allowing a break-in period. By properly following these simple break-in instructions, you should be rewarded with long-term enjoyment of your plasma TV.

Plasma phosphors are most susceptible to image retention in the first hundred hours of use. The panel becomes considerably less sensitive to burn-in after this period.

Very often, televisions, including plasma, are shipped from the factory with the contrast control at a high setting to provide a bright picture under typical dealer showroom lighting conditions. In your home, the room light levels are usually one half or less than that in retail showrooms. The contrast control may need to be lowered in your home for comfortable contrast levels that do not induce eye strain.

When the plasma is initially installed, videophiles say it is best to do the following:

* Make sure the display is in a viewing mode (aspect ratio) that completely fills the screen (there are often three or more settings from which to choose). The panel is shipped in this condition, in what is called the “Just” mode.

* Turn down the picture control (contrast) to 50% or less.

* Briefly engage the 4:3 mode to confirm the side bars are set to mid-gray (there is usually an adjustment in the Set Up menu that takes the sidebars from black to gray) to minimize the chance of burn-in.

* Return the set to a “full screen” (Just, Zoom, Full) position during the first hundred hours of use.

* During the first hundred hours of use it is best not to view the same channel for extended periods. This should prevent channel logos and other fixed images found on some channels from being retained.

* Avoid any static images (video games, computer images, DVD title screens, etc.) during the hundred-hour break-in.


After the hundred-hour break-in period, during the next nine-hundred hours:

* Continue to retain the picture setting at 50% or less.

* Limit the use of 4:3 aspect ratio mode (traditional picture size that does not fill the entire screen) to 15% of viewing time.

* Limit the use of static images (computer, video games, etc.) to less than 10% of viewing time.


After one-thousand viewing hours, panels are much less likely to experience image burn-in.

Source:
Good Ol' Bruzzi (http://www.bruzzi.ws/plasma-faq/showthread.php?t=49)

Thanks a lot. BTW, I turned the peak limit in the screen saver ON. I think it helped.

Do you think there would be quality loss with the RCA-BNC adapters you use?
I was using the ones I bought from monoprice (silver colored ones) for the connection from my SD cable box. I needed the adapter for another connection to my media server. So, I got a Radioshack gold plated RCA-BNC adapter and guess what, I see a significant improvement in my SD signal. With the old adapter, the whites were too bright and now they are normal and better colors as well...

The difference the gold plated adapter made is huge...

There should be no loss via this adapter since its only trnsfer the signal without any manipulations.

It's possible that the gold plated adapters (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102688) may work better. Don't you need three?

I am using the gold plated adapter for the standard cable. The connection I am using is composite just for video.

Hi All,

I've owned my Panasonic 42pwd8uk for a little over a year now and I've been using it primarily as a display for my HTPC. I decided to upgrade it and add the DVI blade (TY-42TM6D). I installed it -- rebooted the plasma -- and I continue to get "No Signal."

I know that the plasma is recognizing the DVI blade, because when I change inputs -- I able to go to "Input 1". If I try to edit the input signal it wont let me because it is a digital signal. Am I doing something wrong? I've read on Bruzzi's FAQ that these blades are pretty much plug and play...

Anyone else had a problem like this?

What type of the signal you are trying to send it? Look in the documentation that came with the blade for the list of compatible signal formats -- you are probably trying to send it a signal it won't accept.

If you want to send it a "native rate" signal at 852x480, you may need to use an application like PowerStrip to get all of the timings just right. I feed my 42PWD8UK with an external video processor, and these are the settings I had to use to get everything to work just right:

Horizontal Size: 852
Horizontal Front Porch: 30
Horizontal Sync: 80
Horizontal Back Porch: 126
Horizontal Total: 1088

Vertical Size: 480
Vertical Front Porch: 10
Vertical Sync: 5
Vertical Back Porch: 30
Vertical Total: 525

For me, these settings yielded a 1:1 pixel-mapped image at the exact horizontal, vertical, and pixel clock frequencies specified in the DVI blade's documentation for the 852x480 input signal. You may have to adjust the front porch / back porch values to center the image -- if you increase one, you should decrease the other by the same amount.

Hope this helps.