Official Panasonic PX60/600 Tweaking, Settings, Issues, Technical Thread! [Text View] - Page 2

BigZAJ

04-14-06, 10:01 PM

futurepannyowner

04-14-06, 11:21 PM

BigZAJ,
Don't feel you have to be that cautious with your new plasma. I set my picture to +12 and brightness to +10 from day 1 and there is absolutely no sign of a problem. You should feel free to set everything to 0 if you like, I am sure the tv will look better with everything set to 0, compared to your current settings.

The only thing you really want to be careful of is leaving your tv on and unattended for hours at a time. Watch what you want and when you are done watching, shut your plasma off.

mxy15

04-14-06, 11:36 PM

Just got my 50px60u today, got it all setup and love it very much. However, a quick question. I don't have any HD source right now just a progressive scan DVD player. I got the DVD player hooked up to the TV via s-video right now and the picture looks pretty decent. However, is there a way for me to see if I am getting 480i or 480p? The user guide is completely useless. Thanks for any help in advance.

afiggatt

04-14-06, 11:48 PM

S-Video is 480i only. If you want to use the progressive capability of the DVD player for 480p, use component cables. Also, don't forget to set the DVD player for a 16:9 display.

If you live in NJ, there should be a lot of HD stations you can get over the air for free. Look into the Local HD Reception and Reception hardware forums for info on what you can expect to get from where you live and info on UHF/VHF antenna setups.

dukmahsik

04-15-06, 01:30 AM

hotpills

04-15-06, 04:59 AM

markymark73

04-15-06, 06:07 AM

Anyone able to save their video tweaks/settings when switching from one input to another?

Or do we have to play with video settings every time we switch inputs?

Settings on one of my inputs (ReplayTV) looks really poor on another (HTPC).

i'm pretty sure that i've read here that setting are retained only by picture mode (e.g. set up cinema for DVD and standard for TV). i haven't been able to find any way myself to "save" settings for just an input. i agree that it's probably not the best way to do things for people with many devices. it works out fine for me though since the only things connected to my set are a cable box and a dvd player ;)

tnmcc

04-15-06, 10:11 AM

I just got my Panny 37PX60U and plugged it in, hooked it to a SA 8300HD box with HDMI, and turned immediately to the HD channels (TWC NYC).

What the hell is this white fuzz that sparkles throughout the HD channels?? Is it the box, the connection or the TV? Obviously it's much more noticieable with blacks and dark colors, but I need to get rid of this.

Any help is appreciated. In the meantime, I'm trying to see if there's a difference with component cable hookups but I'm having trouble switching out of the HDMI setting.

Edit: this problem went away when I switched to components. Is this a problem with my box, or just a TWC problem generally?

subversive

04-15-06, 10:32 AM

acampo

04-15-06, 07:38 PM

3 questions.
1) if there are black bars on top or sides. can this result in burn in?
2) station logos now appear transparent. is this an attempt to stop burn in? do i need to worry about them?
3) is it true i must turn everything down for the first 100 hours?

technofan

04-15-06, 08:06 PM

[QUOTE=kenluvstv]Hope this isn't a dumb question.

Can the Panasonic 42PX60U -- or any TV without a PC input be connected to a PC by using a VGA-to-component adapter/converter?

Reply:

I can connect my PC to my Panny plasma using component cables or DVI cables. My video card Nvidia GeForce 7800 GT has both component and DVI output ; the Nvidia software will help you connect to any monitors (both 4:3 and 16:9 format)! The picture is awesome especially for games. You just need to add the video card if your PC video card does not have component or DVI output.

RicheyPoor

04-15-06, 09:11 PM

Just picked up my TH-42PX60U at Tweeter. I just dled the break-in SVCD and Im about to get going on it for about 10 days whenever Im not watching TV :) cuz I have to watch some. RIght now I have these settings, I am wandering if they will suffice during break in:

Picture: -15
Brightness: -20
Color: -3
Tint: 0
Sharpness: -25 *HIGH SHARPNESS BAD ON ANY TV!
Color Temp: Normal
Black leve: Light (prob gonna change when calibrated, but I need to see the image with those settings)

But I think that brightness and contrast are down enough for break-in, first plasma so Im tryin to be very cautious. ThanksNo need to be so conservative! Watch the set like you normally would, just mix up the material and you'll be fine. Panasonics are very resistant to burn-in unless you're really reckless. The black level can stay on light as you'll find when using the TV's built-in tuner HD shows are locked on light and SD programs are locked on dark. You're also right about the sharpness control, leave that down permanently as it adds clay-face and artifacts; but turn up those brightness and picture controls! Do you want your Easter guests to think you spent thousands of dollars on a TV you have to watch in a cave? ;)
BTW, I have a 50PX500U on which I took my own advice and in the six months I've had it I have never experienced ANY image retention or burn-in.
Enjoy your new set!

USCTrojan

04-15-06, 09:30 PM

When I spoke to the Panny Technician he said burn-in is a thing of the past except with extraordinary abuse. He said the white paper recommends settings at 50% or less and that is from the 0 to +30 scale = +15. Going in the negative range is a deemphasis beyond the zero. Picture must look really bad because I could barely watch at the zero settings. Once again I will state it - if it was so important, panasonic would have recommended this in their manual. They don't because it is not a big deal with regards to the settings. While the panny people endorsed the white paper they were VERY careful in the wording and used Videophiles recommend.... I currently work for a high tech company and trust me when I say MFGs are very conservative in their technical manuals it is because of the constant threat of a lawsuit. If the breakin period was that important they would have listed it in the manual for fear of the lawsuit alone.

BigZAJ

04-16-06, 12:20 AM

What is the depth of the TH-42PX60U and the TH-50PX60U when mounted on a wall bracket? I am looking at speakers that are about 4.8" deep when mounted and I would like the TV to be about flush with them. Thanks in advance.

kenluvstv

04-16-06, 08:46 AM

To Technofan:

Thanks for the info on connecting a PC to the 42PX60U. By the tim you posted, I had already bought one at Tweeter. Drove from DC to Wilmington, Delaware, to save the sales tax. Put a deposit on it Friday night and they held it for me -- the only one they had in stock.

Thanks to everyone else, too, for answers and comments on other folks' questions about break-in period settings. I did dial mine back, because "vivid" was too harsh for my liking. I have the DVD on 'cinema' and the cable box on 'standard' both with picture reduced below +15 (I forget where). Still looks good. Not sure at this point if I'm going to reset them after the break-in.

I am looking forward to getting an Avia disk and calibrating the color.

Question for those who have read this far:

Does anyone really strap the pedestal to the furniture top and tie the tv to the wall to keep it from falling over (as described and shown in the manual)?

Ken

crippldogg

04-16-06, 08:56 AM

Correct, you can see the black bars on the side in any aspect mode, even zoom. (I don't get an option for "h-fill" when using the PS2). It's very strange. And very annoying having two inch-long black bars on either side of the image. There's gotta be a way to adjust this!

I think the h-fill is for HD signals. I just tried my PS2 for the first time yesterday on my 42 panny, no black bars or anything. Did you set the ps2 to 16:9? I think there was also a setting for full not sure about that one. I set mine to 16:9 and then set the game (the new Tomb Raider game) to widescreen which it had an option for. My PS2 is connected to my panny by composite not component so I don't know if that would have any effect with the aspect.

crippldogg

04-16-06, 08:59 AM

Union0015

04-16-06, 10:14 AM

I think the h-fill is for HD signals. I just tried my PS2 for the first time yesterday on my 42 panny, no black bars or anything. Did you set the ps2 to 16:9? I think there was also a setting for full not sure about that one. I set mine to 16:9 and then set the game (the new Tomb Raider game) to widescreen which it had an option for. My PS2 is connected to my panny by composite not component so I don't know if that would have any effect with the aspect.

Hi crippledogg...my PS2 (slimline) is set to 16:9, though I've tried setting it to 4:3 and Full and it goes the same thing. I even tried connected it through composite and S-video and no dice! Here are some pictures of what is going on:

http://union-exxis.com/misc/annoying01.jpg
http://union-exxis.com/misc/annoying02.jpg

Sorry for the crappy pictures, the only digicam I have is my camera phone. :D You can see that the image isn't being stretched completely to the black border of the TV inself. I've done some research and it seems like a lot of PS2/XBOX games experience this type of underscan on fixed panel displays since the consoles were designed primarily for CRTs. But if you're not experiencing a problem, that makes me question why I'm getting it! :(

crippldogg

04-16-06, 11:39 AM

Weird issue cropping up...

I'm find that when I boot up PlayStation2, I get vertical black bars on the right and left sides of the screen. My PS2 is set to 16:9 mode in the settings and connected via component via Component 1 on the back of the 37PX60U.

No matter what I do to play with the aspect ratio of the TV, I still get the vertical black bars. Even if I switch the TV to 4:3, I'll get my dark 4:3 bars and the black bars within that! It's like the PS2 or the TV isn't fully stretching the signal. Anybody know what's up? I wish there was a menu to adjust this.

Is it just on the startup menus or games as well?? I just checked mine and I do get the 1" or so vertical bars on the sides. I don't think it's adjustable. Haven't had any problems with the games though. I have the first model of ps2 by the way, so it is something that has carried through the years.

tnmcc

04-16-06, 01:10 PM

Union0015

04-16-06, 01:17 PM

Is it just on the startup menus or games as well?? I just checked mine and I do get the 1" or so vertical bars on the sides. I don't think it's adjustable. Haven't had any problems with the games though. I have the first model of ps2 by the way, so it is something that has carried through the years.

It's on all games. Interestingly enough, the XBOX's dashboard maxes out to the entire width of the screen, but the games I've tried don't. Bizarre.

I think it has to do with the underscanning of the console itself. Hopefully PS3 will have some sort of upconversion for older PS2 games.

DNero

04-16-06, 01:38 PM

So as a posted yesterday, I'm having a "sparkles" problem with my HDMI hook-up -- particularly on HDTV feeds. Small, fluide whote sparkles appear that are obviously most noticeable when the TV is displaying dark colors.

The interesting thing: It's only showing up on my HDMI 1 Input, NOT my HDMI 2 input. Also, they show up when my Oppo DVD player is connected using their DVI-HDMI connection. Again, this is only on the first HDMI input, not the second.

Anyone have similar problems or thoughts? I can live with switching the cables for the times I watch DVDs because it's on a stand and it's not that difficult. I'm trying to avoid going to all component connection.

I noticed a similar thing as well. I haven't used HDMI 2 much (my DVD player), I've noticed it on HDMI 1, which is connected to my SA 8300HD cable box. Sometimes I see them, other times I don't. Last I noticed them it was during the show Survivor, and I noticed them another time during the same show. Could it be something with the broadcast perhaps?

I'm using 1080p-certified IXOS HDMI cables (expensive). I don't think it could be the cables.

soncomet

04-16-06, 02:13 PM

It's on all games. Interestingly enough, the XBOX's dashboard maxes out to the entire width of the screen, but the games I've tried don't. Bizarre.

I think it has to do with the underscanning of the console itself. Hopefully PS3 will have some sort of upconversion for older PS2 games.
I get this same problem on my Sony 32HS420, on my friend's Sony 40XBR800, and on my other friend's Pioneer 5060. I was horrified by it a couple of years back when I got my TV, but no one seemed to know what my problem was. I am guessing that most people just don't notice it. My friends had no clue it was happening until I pointed it out to them. And then they were shocked that it bothered me. I'd like to turn the overscan down on my TV from the standard settings, but I already get black bars on the left and right of all my PS2 games. I don't want to make them bigger.

DNero

04-16-06, 04:29 PM

[QUOTE=acampo]3 questions.
1) if there are black bars on top or sides. can this result in burn in?
2) station logos now appear transparent. is this an attempt to stop burn in? do i need to worry about them?
3) is it true i must turn everything down for the first 100 hours?[/QUOTE

Burn in is really something of the past, if you are careful and don't watch anything in torch mode you will be fine.

1) no, the phosphors are not being used in this area.
2) don't worry about them
3) it is good practice and recommended by the manufacturer. Look through this thread and fine some of the others settings.

Concerning #1, I'm under the impression that since they are NOT being used in the black bar area, you won't get burn-in, per se, but with extended use and/or abuse, those areas can be brighter when you view full screen images. This because those pixels haven't aged like the others that were illuminated during use. Almost like negative burn-in.

My instruction manual clearly states that images such as 4:3 is a "typical still image" (due to the bars) that shouldn't be displayed for "long periods of time" due to the risk of after image.

BruZZi

04-16-06, 04:49 PM

Concerning #1, I'm under the impression that since they are NOT being used in the black bar area, you won't get burn-in, per se, but with extended use and/or abuse, those areas can be brighter when you view full screen images. This because those pixels haven't aged like the others that were illuminated during use. Almost like negative burn-in.

That's correct.

See an (exaggerated) example of what would happen if you watch 2.35:1 Movies straight for several months:

http://img456.imageshack.us/img456/4974/th42px500upg38hm.jpg

__________________________________
BruZZi's Panasonic Plasma FAQ — bruzzi.ws
Lots of info for all Plasmas in general.

DNero

04-16-06, 06:01 PM

Ooooo! That's nasty!! lol

Thanks BruZZi! That's like how I imagine it would look if abused. Exaggerated, sure, but it's a great example.

monkeymoo7

04-16-06, 07:32 PM

Newbie Question - I just purchased a 42PX60U.

I have spent about 6 to 7 hours reading all of the threads and it has been a huge help. I apologize in advance if I am asking a repeated question but I have read the threads and cannot find a direct answer.

One area that I am really confused on is the set-up calibration and set-up period. I have not even turned on the plasma yet as I wanted to make sure I have all of the information needed to correctly break in the TV (maybe being over cautious but it's a big investment so I want to make sure I do it right). Anyhow, what should my settings be for the break-in period. I have read that contrast should be set to 50%, but what is 50% on the numeric scale used by Panasonic? Do I need to adjust anything else other then the contrast or picture quality? Is it a few adjustments, i.e. sharpness, color, etc.?

What exactly are break in DVDs (i.e. AVAI, etc.)? Are they necessary? Where can I obtain one and how much do they cost?

Any suggested settings / calibration after the 100 hour break-in period?

Is there anything else I need to consider given that I am very new to the game and I am looking to preserve the plasma but get the most out of it?

Thank you in advance for your help!

Ein

04-16-06, 07:46 PM

Don't worry about break-in DVD. I would just tune the TV to Discovery Channel when not watching and leave it on to accelerate the first 100 hours. It is one of the HD channels that doesn't have a static channel logo.

monkeymoo7

04-16-06, 07:49 PM

Thank you Ein. What calibrations do I need to change from the factory settings during the break-in period? What about post break-in period?

Thank you again for helping a new member out.

lipcrkr

04-16-06, 08:43 PM

RicheyPoor

04-16-06, 09:19 PM

How do you make the jpg's full screen? When you get to the multiple pic screen and highlite the pic (yellow frame around pic) how do you enlarge it full screen? When you click "OK" it goes back to menu. Apparently it doesn't work like a computer. I've experimented with the 500U and the only way I could make my photos display full-screen was to size them to 1905x1068. I tried 1920x1080 but found it abended the program and returned to TV mode every time I tried to display this size (obviously a programming bug so it's possible they've fixed it in the 60/600U series). Multiples of 1905x1068 also work (3810x2136, etc) but the extra resolution is thrown away and it takes longer to load (it takes long enough now) so there's no advantage to it. Other seemingly logical resolutions like 1366x768, etc will not fill the screen. I don't think you can force other resolutions to fill the screen which makes this feature rather clumsy to use. On the other hand, the photos do look great on the big screen. I intend to try putting my photos on a DVD as my player handles jpeg's. That may be a better solution. Has anyone else gone that route?

Union0015

04-16-06, 10:00 PM

One area that I am really confused on is the set-up calibration and set-up period. I have not even turned on the plasma yet as I wanted to make sure I have all of the information needed to correctly break in the TV (maybe being over cautious but it's a big investment so I want to make sure I do it right). Anyhow, what should my settings be for the break-in period. I have read that contrast should be set to 50%, but what is 50% on the numeric scale used by Panasonic? Do I need to adjust anything else other then the contrast or picture quality? Is it a few adjustments, i.e. sharpness, color, etc.?

This is how I'm breaking my TV in, using the Panasonic numerics:

Picture: -9
Brightness: -9
Sharpness: 0

I was running the set in the negative teens, but thanks to the advice on this forum, I found that's a little much. Enjoy the set!

lipcrkr

04-16-06, 10:09 PM

I've experimented with the 500U and the only way I could make my photos display full-screen was to size them to 1905x1068. I tried 1920x1080 but found it abended the program and returned to TV mode every time I tried to display this size (obviously a programming bug so it's possible they've fixed it in the 60/600U series). Multiples of 1905x1068 also work (3810x2136, etc) but the extra resolution is thrown away and it takes longer to load (it takes long enough now) so there's no advantage to it. Other seemingly logical resolutions like 1366x768, etc will not fill the screen. I don't think you can force other resolutions to fill the screen which makes this feature rather clumsy to use. On the other hand, the photos do look great on the big screen. I intend to try putting my photos on a DVD as my player handles jpeg's. That may be a better solution. Has anyone else gone that route?

What i meant was after the SD disk is put in the slot and displays thumbnails of the pics, the arrows on the remote allow you to highlite one of the pics but from that point i can't get the picture that's highlited to go full screen to begin the slide show. Believe it or not i am trying to find this out for Circuit City..lol. A couple of the salespeople that i know and myself were trying to do this for a customer. It was the customer's pics. The Philips plasma right next to it had no problem whatsoever.

teamhawaii

04-16-06, 10:17 PM

Overscan.. is it truly a problem with the 37PX60U?

RicheyPoor

04-16-06, 10:37 PM

What i meant was after the SD disk is put in the slot and displays thumbnails of the pics, the arrows on the remote allow you to highlite one of the pics but from that point i can't get the picture that's highlited to go full screen to begin the slide show. Believe it or not i am trying to find this out for Circuit City..lol. A couple of the salespeople that i know and myself were trying to do this for a customer. It was the customer's pics. The Philips plasma right next to it had no problem whatsoever.That's so easy I assume it must be different on the 60U... On the 500U you use the arrow buttons to navigate though the thumbnails (just as you stated for the 60U) and the Select button to display the full-size photo. If the 60U returned to TV when you pressed Select it might have been the resolution of the customer's photos being incompatible with the TV (much like the results I got when I tried to display 1920x1080 photos.

futurepannyowner

04-16-06, 10:52 PM

To Technofan:

I am looking forward to getting an Avia disk and calibrating the color.

Question for those who have read this far:

Does anyone really strap the pedestal to the furniture top and tie the tv to the wall to keep it from falling over (as described and shown in the manual)?

Ken

I think the strap is overkill unless you have small children or live on the west coast where you get all those darn earthquakes.

3 questions.
1) if there are black bars on top or sides. can this result in burn in?
2) station logos now appear transparent. is this an attempt to stop burn in? do i need to worry about them?
3) is it true i must turn everything down for the first 100 hours?

The transparent logos are nice. Burn-in is absolutely impossible from those.
The picture above gives a good idea of what a plasma might look like if you you only watched letterboxed programming.

Thank you Ein. What calibrations do I need to change from the factory settings during the break-in period? What about post break-in period?

The tv defaults to vivid on all inputs out of the box. This should at least be changed to the standard setting, but you probably already took care of that. As far as post break-in, If you want the best possible picture you want to get the tv ISFed which will be in the ballpark of $400 but it is money well spent. If you don't do that many people use AVIA or DVE to adjust the settings on their tv.

Overscan.. is it truly a problem with the 37PX60U?

I would like to adjust the overscan and I think you can in the service menu, but when I looked at it I had no idea what anything in the menu was so I just left it alone because its not worth messing with setting in the service menu.

I get the letterboxing with my first gen PS2 as well. It does not matter what game I play all of them don't fill the screen even after changing the setting to 16:9. I moved it back to one of my older CRTs. I hope this is fixed for the PS3. I am guessing it will with the HD resolution.

zbaileys

04-17-06, 12:38 AM

Long time lurker, new poster.

First and foremost, major kudos and a thousand attaboys for slow-dog and his #81 posting on unpacking a plasma. While his post was for a 50" Panny, we used it to unpack our 42px60u. His post saved us three hours of screaming toil, a broken marriage, and a destroyed plasma. Had our first plasma out of the box and running in about 20 minutes.

Also major thank you's for the wealth of advice posted in this forum. We are comfortable in the decision we made on our first plasma and look forward to the 58"/600 sometime in Dec. when we hope we can afford it.

Our Panasonic TH-42px60U is awesome even on an old coax with terrible 480i analog cable input. We do get a couple of HD stations on TimeWarner and they blow us away -- was up till 4 a.m. the first night watching kangaroos bounce around Australia.

Now we're trying to set up our new recorder, Panasonic DMR-ES45VS.
Basic set up is complete using a/v cables supplied with recorder.
Bought some component cables. Tried to set them up instead of S-Video (component is better than S-Video??) don't want to use HDMI because of limitations on recording subjects and lack of CC (and we don't have digital upgrade to our cable, yet).
The diagram in the manual for the recorder (on page 16) does not jive with the diagram for the plasma (page 33) using component cables. Do the component cables go from the recorder into the Component 1 input of the plasma, or the "Prog Out" connections of the plasma,
and do I need audio cables in addition to the A/V cables and component cables,
and why doesn't Panasonic online show a nice diagram connecting two of their newest and best products?

Should I even try to use component cables or stick with the basic set up??

Thanks for helping us choose the right set for now, how to unpack the thing, how to set it up, and how to burn it in. Now if we could just get the DVD recorder to work!

I am very hopeful all this will work.

crippldogg

04-17-06, 07:07 AM

zbaileys:

Go with the component cables, much better than an s-video hookup. I believe you should hookup the component cables from the recorder to component 1 on the plasma.

optivity

04-17-06, 07:31 AM

Now we're trying to set up our new recorder, Panasonic DMR-ES45VS.
Basic set up is complete using a/v cables supplied with recorder.
Bought some component cables. Tried to set them up instead of S-Video (component is better than S-Video??) don't want to use HDMI because of limitations on recording subjects and lack of CC (and we don't have digital upgrade to our cable, yet).
The diagram in the manual for the recorder (on page 16) does not jive with the diagram for the plasma (page 33) using component cables. Do the component cables go from the recorder into the Component 1 input of the plasma, or the "Prog Out" connections of the plasma,
and do I need audio cables in addition to the A/V cables and component cables,
and why doesn't Panasonic online show a nice diagram connecting two of their newest and best products?

Should I even try to use component cables or stick with the basic set up??480p looks better than 480i through a component connection, 480i content will look better with an S-Video connection.

dsmith901

04-17-06, 09:00 AM

480p looks better than 480i through a component connection, 480i content will look better with an S-Video connection.

Of course S-video won't pass 480p, but based on my own experience I basically agree with this opinion.

tnmcc

04-17-06, 09:01 AM

I noticed a similar thing as well. I haven't used HDMI 2 much (my DVD player), I've noticed it on HDMI 1, which is connected to my SA 8300HD cable box. Sometimes I see them, other times I don't. Last I noticed them it was during the show Survivor, and I noticed them another time during the same show. Could it be something with the broadcast perhaps?

I'm using 1080p-certified IXOS HDMI cables (expensive). I don't think it could be the cables.

I have the exact same box. I called TWC NYC and spoke to their "HDMI guy" who seemed to think it was a TV issue since it was only coming from HDMI 1. I notice it on certain broadcasts but not others -- I haven;t watched enough to figure out whether it's happening more on 720 or 1080. Let me know if you figure anything out.

Muncher17

04-17-06, 09:12 AM

I get the letterboxing with my first gen PS2 as well. It does not matter what game I play all of them don't fill the screen even after changing the setting to 16:9. I moved it back to one of my older CRTs. I hope this is fixed for the PS3. I am guessing it will with the HD resolution.

Just to confirm this, I believe that I have a first generation PS2 and I also see the letterboxing problem with the 2" black bars on either side of the signal. (even when setting PS2 to 16:9)

Is there a way to make these black bars lighter, or is this something being produced from the PS2? After playing some PS2 on my new Panasonic, I'm not sure I can go back to my 19" CRT, regardless of whether those black bars are there or not :)

DNero

04-17-06, 09:15 AM

zbaileys

04-17-06, 09:51 AM

O.K., so we're going to go with component cables from the (DMR-ES45VS) recorder to the Component 1 Input of the TV, we also have a/v cables in a basic set up going into Input 1, we will add the two audio cables (white and red) from recorder to the TV in the Component 1 input area, and we will not go with S-Video. So, on the plasma, "Component Video Input 2", (plain old) "Input 2", and "Prog Out" will all be empty. And we should still be able to record and play DVDs and VHS tapes???!!!!

Am I anywhere close?

Will all this change when we upgrade to digital cable?

Second thoughts: if my Time Warner cable is 480i, can I "change" it to 480p?? I keep seeing 480i whenever I check recall. If I only get 480i now, should we reconsider and go with S-video????

svgtom

04-17-06, 09:52 AM

I noticed a similar thing as well. I haven't used HDMI 2 much (my DVD player), I've noticed it on HDMI 1, which is connected to my SA 8300HD cable box. Sometimes I see them, other times I don't. Last I noticed them it was during the show Survivor, and I noticed them another time during the same show. Could it be something with the broadcast perhaps?

I'm using 1080p-certified IXOS HDMI cables (expensive). I don't think it could be the cables.
The sparkles during Survivor were definitely the broadcast. I noticed them too. The reason I'm sure it was the broadcast is because it was the first time I had ever seen them on my 42 60U and I'm currently hooked up via component.

DNero

04-17-06, 10:28 AM

Ahhhhh! Thought that might be the case! Thanks svgtom!

tnmcc

04-17-06, 10:54 AM

OK. Will do.

I was watching for it last night and didn't see a trace of it. I really think it has something to do with the broadcast/particular show. Did you try swapping HDMI 1 & 2? I bet you'll see it sometimes on HDMI 2 if you do.

I have yet to see any sparkles on HDMI 2 whether watching cable or DVD. But tonight I will try HDMI 1, on different sources (480, 720 1080) and see if it matters.

jmschnur

04-17-06, 11:08 AM

Does the serivce manual for the 50U displays provide the information required to do an RGB alignment with color facts and and good spectomoeter for the 60U plasmas?

Has anybody aligned the 60Us- RGB contrast and birightness to bring it closer to 6500 between 10 and 100 IRE?

Joel

monkeymoo7

04-17-06, 01:12 PM

I have the 42PX60U - is there a way to see how many hours you have watched the TV - trying to determine how much I have left in my break-in period. Thanks for your help.

dano1122

04-17-06, 04:50 PM

google for bruzzi faq and you'll find it in there

skippiks27

04-17-06, 05:13 PM

lower the volume on the panel (not on the remote) to zero. Hold it there. While continuing to hold down the volume button press recall three times. Let go of the volume. Press 1 on your remote 3 times. Hold down mute on the remote for 3 seconds. It will give you the time in Hex format. search Bruzzi's FAQ or this thread or google to convert from Hex to normal hours.

BruZZi

04-17-06, 05:32 PM

You guys can always go to the first post of the Sticky Thread:
Panasonic Plasma FAQ - Read First! (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=407154) at the top. :)

__________________________________
BruZZi's Panasonic Plasma FAQ — bruzzi.ws
Lots of info for all Plasmas in general.

crippldogg

04-18-06, 08:19 AM

I need a solution to a small problem. I've gotta old indoor antenna hookup to my 42px60u and want to switch between antenna and cable. When I flip the switch on the antenna it will switch between to two, anyways, when I do switch from antenna to cable I have to rescan every channel. Is there a way I can avoid this??

Rojo_P

04-18-06, 03:33 PM

Okay all you new Panny owners, now that you have your plasmas broken in, what are you using for Picture, Brightness, Color, Tint and Sharpness?

Preliminary settings from what this newbie can determine from the Avia disk are:
Picture +12
Brightness +4
Color -2
Tint -0
Sharpness +4

hayabusa55

04-18-06, 03:55 PM

^^^ What about Black Level in 'other settings'? Dark or Light? I have mine on Light, but the blacks aren't that black.

mziegler

04-18-06, 03:57 PM

I'm still a HT moron, but I'm getting better, thanks to this forum.

Here's my gear:

1. SA 8300HD box via TWC
2. Denon 2807 AVR
3. Denon 2910 DVD
4. Pannasonic 50" 60u plasma
4. Polk 7500 speaker system

At the moment, everything is connected via component, since I can't go from the settop to the receiver via HDMI. I run the DVD through component directly to the panny.

Sound from DVD to receiver via toslink.

I have HDMI cables which I purchased through monoprice. I have not been able to get HDMI to work consistently in various configurations. I am worried that the cables are junk, although the threads here suggest that a cable is a cable.

I just watched King Kong, and I must say that image and sound were awesome, although I don't have anything to compare it to. Video was fed into the panny at the default component setting, 480. Since I just spent $5,500, however, I would like to squeeze out the best quality. Fewer cables would be nice, hence my interest in hdmi.

There is no way to go directly from the settop to receiver via hdmi. This is well established by now.

I read a thread at audioholics about two work-arounds for my situation:

a. try hdmi connection from settop to panny, and hdmi from DVD to panny;
b. use a converter, and run everything through it.

Given the above (and please correct me where/if I'm wrong), I have a key question:

Can you suggest a way to set up my system? I wouldn't mind paying $250 for a conversion box if the quality would improve.

Thanks in advance.

PghDave

04-18-06, 06:06 PM

pra3t0r

04-18-06, 06:53 PM

pkazmier

04-18-06, 11:18 PM

HELP!!

I just got my 42PX60U today. While trying to figure out the service menu, so I could check the hours used thus far, I managed to screw something up. On-screen displays, such as the menu that pops up via the "menu" key, no longer appear on screen. Likewise, when I press the "TV/Video" button. The TV still functions, but I can't see any of these displays which makes use a bit difficult.

I don't think I changed any values in the service menu, but at first I couldn't figure out how to get out of them and as a result pressed a few buttons (but I don't think I ever hit Vol +/- which changes values). Eventually, I saw the note in the FAQ on how to exit the service menu (power off), but now my TV is screwed up.

I can still access the service menu. Was hoping someone here might have some ideas, I feel like a moron. It was late, I was excited about the TV, and now I'm paying for it. I'm afraid to call support as I don't want them to void my warranty because I went into the service menus.

The only other thing I can think of, is perhaps the remote got screwed up somehow. I can't see how, as it works, but perhaps some of the keys got remapped somehow? When you press a button, does the TV light blink 3 times on each key press? I can't recall if that was the behavior before I screwed up my TV. Could someone confirm for me?

Thanks,
Pete

pkazmier

04-18-06, 11:37 PM

Ok, I have figured a way to get to the "Picture" menu now. I hit the "menu" key, which results in no change on-screen, then I hit "OK", and up pops the "Picture" menu. In the service menu, could someone tell me what the RM-SET code is set to? There are two potential values, "a" or "b". Mine is set to "a". I'm wondering if RM-SET stands for remote control set? Just grasping for anything here.

Thanks,
Pete

scherer326

04-19-06, 07:45 AM

pra3t0r , is your dvd settings on the tv in vivid, make sure that it is in standard

skippiks27

04-19-06, 08:50 AM

Also, pra3tor, the "Picture" setting is for some TV's, including Panasonic, what others more descriptively call "Contrast" so that is the setting that should be turned down to improve the PQ based on what you have said. Check out some of the posts with settings people have dialed in and see if any of those improve your PQ and your viewing experience. Good luck.

teamhawaii

04-19-06, 09:00 AM

Can anyone confirm if you can adjust the aspect ratios on the 37PX60U while in 720p or 1080i?

For example, use Just aspect on an HD signal?

giggle

04-19-06, 09:02 AM

Can anyone confirm if you can adjust the aspect ratios on the 37PX60U while in 720p or 1081i?

For example, use Just aspect on an HD signal?

Yes you can.

pkazmier

04-19-06, 09:27 AM

I fixed my problem! In the service menu, under OPTIONS, I must have changed the setting for OPT00 to 0 which apparently seems to disable the top-level menu (perhaps for kiosk like settings?) I changed it to 1, and things are back to normal. Phew!

Although, I would appreciate if someone could confirm what the default setting should be as the values range from 0 to 4 I think.

Thanks,
Pete

blah29

04-19-06, 10:46 AM

elight50

04-19-06, 11:17 AM

Union0015

04-19-06, 11:30 AM

After watching "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and a few of my other DVDs, I'm growing more and more disappointed with my Panasonic 37" TH-37PX60U. There's an effect on the entire video image that I can't turn down or off. It's like a combination of edge sharpening and posterization filters in Photoshop. It's giving the overall image a flat, painterly effect. I'm not getting the "depth" so many are boasting about. Also, I see no way to adjust Contrast.

If I don't figure out a solution soon... the 40" Bravia is going to become its' replacement.

I'm not experiencing this. What are your settings, how are your components hooked up, etc? My image looks very vivid and three-dimensional. To adjust contrast, go into the menu, click the first option, and adjust Picture. Panasonic calls "contrast" picture.

crippldogg

04-19-06, 12:02 PM

I'm just a bit confused about VIVID, STD and CINEMA. Are these just labels for specific setting groups, or are there non-changeable attributes associated with each of modes? From what I can tell, I can make them all the same from the settings menu, but I'd like to confirm that there isn't more to it.

Thanks.

They are just pre-setup maunfacturer settings. You can change them all and make them the same i think. For the most part, i use the standard setting but with all the options set a little different

Docism

04-19-06, 12:16 PM

Another noob here - thanks for all the great info.

My TH-42PX60U was delivered yesterday, I played with the settings a little and watched about 5 hours. I was wiped out so I didn't do too much else.

So if I understand this correctly, I should back all my setting off for the first 100 hours? What would the specific numbers and settings be?

I was surprised that the TV didn't come with a single cable, I thought for sure it would come with the HDMI cable. I have Time Warner too so my cable box is equipped with HDMI - I went to Fry's and picked up the last one they had. The picture is absolutely beautiful and the Panny is replacing a Mitsubishi 55" WS.

Also, I'm wondering what would be the optimal DVD player to match up with the TH-42PX60U? Thanks again for the great thread.

Elemental1

04-19-06, 12:37 PM

DNero

04-19-06, 12:37 PM

Docism, welcome. Although I'm sure people here will disagree, I would set the settings to what looks best to you in standard mode. Just don't display still images for great lenghts of time to be on the safe side.

I have the 50" 60U and have been using it for a few weeks now. There's absolutely no need to put your settings on a dark, crappy picture for the first 100 hours. People are just being overly safe, IMO.

During my break in time I've made full use of bright, repetitive still images, such as the bright cyan-colored channel bar that appears whenever I change channels, we've made some use of the on-screen TV guide, we've watched full length movies with the black bars. I scrutinize full white, grey, and dark screens looking for even a TRACE of un-evenness that would reveal image retention or burn in and there is ZERO.

Congrats on your new TV!

DNero

04-19-06, 12:40 PM

Elemental, I got the same one! See?! We ALMOST have the same setup, but you had to chicken out on the TV at the last minute!! LOL

Elemental1

04-19-06, 12:43 PM

Yes, I agree...I am playing it safe and to me it's just logical to burn in the pixels evenly by color for a while.
I did do some watching first though, I'm guilty a little :D

Elemental1

04-19-06, 12:45 PM

Elemental, I got the same one! See?! We ALMOST have the same setup, but you had to chicken out on the TV at the last minute!! LOL

Yes, I did but when you see my 500u, you will be struck by a lot of envy ;)
I will post pics when I get the wires hidden.

DNero

04-19-06, 12:47 PM

Lol! Ok.

Docism

04-19-06, 01:56 PM

Congrats on your new TV!

Thanks a bunch, you say you were looking at still images, is that from the SD flash card option? I just bought a Lumix (Panasonic) camera a few months ago but I haven't looked at any of the images from the TV yet. What about video games - should I hold off until I get some more time in?

DNero

04-19-06, 03:21 PM

With regard to still images, from my 8300HD cable box, I get a bright bar that appears in the same place on the bottom of the screen that displays the channel, show title, description, etc, whenever I change channels. Since I constantly flip through 100+ channels, this bar must have been displayed thousands of times by now. I was really concerned about it at first, but thought I'd just carefully watch for any signs of retention. It hasn't happened. Other still images are the black lines that appear when the video image doesn't fit your whole screen.

Personally, I'm not connecting a video game system until the PS3 is released later in the year. This will give the phosphors plenty of time to settle in before then. Then when I do connect it, I will identify the still images that it produces and will be especially cautious, looking for retention, before I spend very long amounts of time with them on screen and risk burn-in.

Elemental1

04-19-06, 03:59 PM

Personally, I'm not connecting a video game system until the PS3 is released later in the year. This will give the phosphors plenty of time to settle in before then. Then when I do connect it, I will identify the still images that it produces and will be especially cautious, looking for retention, before I spend very long amounts of time with them on screen and risk burn-in.

Yup...same here. I will buy the PS3 just because it's a BR player...and get the gaming as a plus :D
I still don't think I will be impressed with the gaming of the PS3 as I have a Dell XPS Gen2 laptop which I will try and hook up very soon to the Plasma.

Docism

04-19-06, 04:15 PM

Damn, I must be in the right place then... the only was Id have an XBOX is if someone gave it to me - then I'd sell it on EBAY and by a PS3. :D

teamhawaii

04-19-06, 08:24 PM

redhatyellow

04-20-06, 12:48 AM

Why is everyone turning off VIDEO NR and MPEG NR?

What are they exactly? All I know is that NR stands for NOISE REDUCTION and that cant be a bad thing, can it?

skippiks27

04-20-06, 07:13 AM

Still havent gotten a straight answer on the overscan/underscan issue with the 37PX60U... Is it an isolated issue?

How can one test for it? How do you fix it?

I am close to getting one this week and need to know what to look for.

THANKS.

Seems to be only a slight issue. Something I would like to be able to adjust but it doesn't seem as though anyone has figured out how.

I was especially concerned by the HDNet testing overscan pattern, but it turns out that that pattern has an error in it - it adds an extra line on the bottom so I thought I was having bad overscan on the bottom and not on the top of the screen - that would have been very bad - but it is not the case. According to the HDNet pattern I have "acceptable overscan".

Also, 1.85:1 sources have no black bars on the top or bottom - which clearly indicates that there is slight overscan, but apparently this is also "acceptable" amounts. I do wish these settings were adjustable but I also don't think this is anything to worry about since it is a very minor, and accepted degree.

egroman

04-20-06, 08:16 AM

Why is everyone turning off VIDEO NR and MPEG NR?

What are they exactly? All I know is that NR stands for NOISE REDUCTION and that cant be a bad thing, can it?

Your right - noise reduction. But as I've toggled between off and on VIDEO NR, the hd pq just seems a bit crisper when set to off. It's subtle, but there.

GlazerJax

04-20-06, 10:04 AM

RicheyPoor

04-20-06, 10:16 AM

Why is everyone turning off VIDEO NR and MPEG NR?

What are they exactly? All I know is that NR stands for NOISE REDUCTION and that cant be a bad thing, can it?All noise reduction circuits are a compromise in that you loose a little detail along with the noise, so if you don't have a problem with noise you should leave them off. Basically, use whichever setting looks best to you.

blah29

04-20-06, 10:18 AM

Hi everybody. I am new around here. Only my 2nd post. I have been reading alot though in the last few weeks.

I just got the new Panasonic TH-50PX60U plasma. I got it setup and for the most part it looks really good. But my issue is this: whenever I have a menu screen up from the TV itself I get a little bit of "streaking" that goes horizontally across. For example if I get a small menu up from the screen, as soon as it comes up, I get streaks when I am against a solid color. I noticed this right off the bat the very 1st time you start the TV up (the menu is against a solid color). It doesn't seem like it is image retention as I have seen everyone here describe, as once the menu goes away so does the related streaking.

Now, I setup my progressive scan DVD player, and the 1st DVD I played, Sin City, which is a very high contrast movie, pretty much has blacks against white, gives a similar effect only more pronounced. For example in the beginning of the movie there are some black gates against white(horizontally), and in the middle of the screen, the black gates have a white gap in them, but my tv shows light gray streaks running horizontally across.

Other than this, I am finding the TV looks great so far. I just started running the plasma burn in SVCD disc today, to see if this will help the problem. Or if you guys think I have a bad TV.

I really hope I didn't get a bad TV from Best Buy as this new model is hard to come since it is new.

Thanks to anyone who has any info to offer! =) This whole purchase is making me nervous, I am not exactly a loaded guy. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Oh, I almost forgot...

I am plugged into the TV with CABLE going straight to the tv direct.
Also, my DVD player is hooked up via Component. But again, I get the issue happening not just from the DVD player, but from the TV setup/menus too. Really only noticeable when you have a solid color taking up the screen. I didn't see any thing that I could notice agains SD tv signals.

No one commented so far on their experiences so far with the "streaking" I am getting or if this is something common. I just took some photos(see attachement links below). Can anybody tell me if this is somewhat normal, I don't think it is. I am going back to BestBuy today and tell them I want a replacement TV. I am also going to take my DVD player with me and ask if I can connect it to the TV there and see if I get the same issue.

Again, I tried 2 different DVD players, connected to all the inputs, Compent, S-VIDEO, and composite too, and the streaking happens with the actual TV Menus too, whenever there is a relatively solid color background. For example I saw last night a commercial with big type against a flat color, and I saw the streaking there too. I see it pop up much less often on true HD feeds.

Thanks to everybody for any help or info.

RicheyPoor

04-20-06, 10:27 AM

I am hoping someone can help me with a concern I have.

My wife and I just bought a 42PX60U a few days ago and I have been trying to tweak the picture settings. Out of the box, I set the picture to Standard and the other settings to 0 or less. I have sharpen turned down to -15. Both of the NR settings are set to off. I am watching unencrypted HD signals from Comcast straight from the wall.

Here is my problem. When watching HD programming, I am noticing banding in gradations of color and also the blocking of blacks in dark and shadow areas. I tried OTA HD reception and I still have the issue. I can also see it when playing DVDs over component cable. Could it be I am just sitting to close? I am 8 feet away.

Any help would be appreciated by this new Panny owner.

P.S. slo-dog's unpacking instructions were AWESOME! Saved us a lot of time.Try setting the brightness and picture to what looks best to you, better yet, if you have a THX DVD like Star Wars use the procedures on the 'Special Features' section of the disk to adjust the those controls. Then, if necessary, turn the sharpness down to -30 (your not loosing any detail by doing this, just artificial edge enhancement). Another thing to try is set your DVD player to output 480i instead of 480p. This seems counter intuitive but the TV may have a better image processor than your DVD player (mine did and both were Panasonics). Good luck! Let us know how you make out.

RicheyPoor

04-20-06, 10:43 AM

No one commented so far on their experiences so far with the "streaking" I am getting or if this is something common. I just took some photos(see attachement links below). Can anybody tell me if this is somewhat normal, I don't think it is. I am going back to BestBuy today and tell them I want a replacement TV. I am also going to take my DVD player with me and ask if I can connect it to the TV there and see if I get the same issue.

Again, I tried 2 different DVD players, connected to all the inputs, Compent, S-VIDEO, and composite too, and the streaking happens with the actual TV Menus too, whenever there is a relatively solid color background. For example I saw last night a commercial with big type against a flat color, and I saw the streaking there too. I see it pop up much less often on true HD feeds.

Thanks to everybody for any help or info.It's normal to some degree. Your pictures don't look especially bad but I'd try looking at other TV's in the store (including other brands). My guess is when you see it on one you'll see it on all, conventional (CRT) TV's included. It's been discussed before but the thread may be archived by now.

dukmahsik

04-20-06, 10:45 AM

i've had streaking here too, but it was the dvd not the display

Elemental1

04-20-06, 12:32 PM

No one commented so far on their experiences so far with the "streaking" I am getting or if this is something common.
Thanks to everybody for any help or info.

Maybe they don't like those kind of facts ;)
I have not noticed it on my 500u yet.....but I just got it. :)

GlazerJax

04-20-06, 12:35 PM

Thanks RicheyPoor, I'll try out the THX option and let you know how it works.

One thing I don't understand though is why I am seeing posterization on an HD feed. I would think at the settings I have this would not be an issue.

BigZAJ

04-20-06, 01:43 PM

scherer326

04-20-06, 01:57 PM

there is not a problem with your player. Certain discs no matter if your tv is 16:9 will still have the black bars on top and bottom. Read the FAQ thread for a better explanation.

futurepannyowner

04-20-06, 02:06 PM

I am having some issues with my DVD player and TH-42PX60U. I have a simple sony progressive scan dvd player running HDMI into my Panny. I can set the TV format to 16:9 or 4:3 in the DVD menu and choose output over HDMI as 1920x1080i, 1280x720p, or 480p (forgot width on that one). Anyways I have it set to 16:9 and 1280x720p over HDMI. When I watch any dvd in FULL I get small black bars top and bottom. The only way to get a full screen image at all is to go into zoom mode on the TV. Full, Just, H-Fill and 4:3 all have the small bars top and bottom. If i turn it over to 4:3 mode on the dvd player I get the same bars and if I goto 1920x1080i or 420p i get no bar at the bottom but a large black bar at the top. Any ideas, should I look for a different DVD player?

Check the back of the DVD cases. I think you are watching movies that were shot in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Theoretically you can get letterboxing with the 1.85:1 widescreen movies as well since your tv is 1.778:1, but I don't see it on my tv either because the DVD was edited to 16x9 or my DVD player modifies the picture a little bit- I don't remember the exact reason.

futurepannyowner

04-20-06, 02:11 PM

Is anyone here certain that WARM is 6500K? Color-temp is confusing. If 6500K is a reddish white and 10000K is a blueish white, why is blue cool and red warm. Shouldn't red be cool and blue be warm.

blah29

04-20-06, 02:28 PM

It's normal to some degree. Your pictures don't look especially bad but I'd try looking at other TV's in the store (including other brands). My guess is when you see it on one you'll see it on all, conventional (CRT) TV's included. It's been discussed before but the thread may be archived by now.

Thanks for the info. This site has been a godsend.

Well, I just got back from BestBuy, they were nice enough (as they ought to be when you drop that much for a TV), to let me come in with my own DVD player and Sin City DVD, and I get pretty much the exact same issue. It isn't that bad, and so far, it seems to only happen with high contrast imagery, such as with menus (from any source) when it is against a solid color. It also has to be completely horizontal for it to happen too.

Now of course Sin City DVD is all shot completely in black and white, and other parts of the movie are totally fine. So of course I just so happened to pick one of the worst kind of movie to 1st play in the plasma. Now, so far, when I am watching HD signals over my cable line, I haven't really much of this at all, even when I press a menu button against the HD feed.

So, while I was in Best Buy, I asked if I could plug into a Pioneer 42" Plasma, and it too gave the same kind of streaking, however, it was much less pronounced. Someone earlier in this thread (a senior member) said it is inherint with Plasma. Now that plasma was quite a bit more expensive, so for me I wouldn't consider an exchange so far.

So far the "streaking", it isn't a deal breaker for me, but I had already made an appointment for a panasonic warranty co. to take a look. I figure I will just confirm with him, to be absolutely sure (not that I don't believe any of you senior members :) that I am just seeing something inherint with the technology of plasma. If the "streaking" happened all the time, or if it happened even alot more often, I would just return the TV.

I will see if I can post more pictures soon, if I see any other movies that show that "streaking" effect.

Otherwise the HD feeds look great! Although I am coming from having a 32" crt for years.

Papo-60

04-20-06, 06:37 PM

I have the same problem with my TH-50px60u which is also connected to a SA 8300 using HDMI. Mine behaves exactly the same way.

Only way I found to eliminate or minimize the problem was to change the "set picture format" setting in the 8300HD settings menu to "upconvert 1" or "upconvert 2" instead of my original setting of "auto hdmi".

Almost completely eliminates the problem on mine.

I have a TH-50px60u & just changed my setting from "auto hdmi" to "upconvert 1" and it also solved the delay problem for me. Thanks for the info.

BigZAJ

04-20-06, 08:43 PM

when i said little black bars, i meant 4 pixels top and bottom. The DVDS are all 16:9. It is displaying exactly 720 lines and not padding out to 728 if that makes sense. HD content over Cox does not have the two 4pixel height bars at the top and bottom. Only this player no matter what the DVD format is, even the menu system leaves the 4 pixel lines top and bottom. It is not a matter of the format of the disc.

youyou

04-21-06, 03:46 AM

Hi Guys,
I am brand new to this forum and have a few questions...
So I live in Montreal,Canada. I bought a 50" Samsumg DLP at Future Shop about 11months ago and let me tell you that it is absolutely horrible... After alot of convincing I was able to get them to take back the tv and let me take a new one in store.
So here comes my dilema... The first tv that caught my eye was the 50" ph500u. They have one left and it's a store demo. The actual msrp of the ph500u is 4999.99$ Canadian. So after some negotiating they finally dropped the price to 4200$ Canadian.
This was yesterday. So I was going back today to finalize the exchange and the purchase of the 500u. But last night I did a little bit of research and found out that the 500u is an older model and that the new models are the 60u/600u. So I go back to Future Shop today and tell them about my findings on the newer models... Now they did have a 42'' ph60u on display and they had a 50" ph60u in stock...
So now I was left with the choice between the store demo 50" ph500u or the brand new in the box 50" ph60u. So I was very confused on what to do. I have to admit I liked the look of the 500u much more then the 60u. Now I have no use for cable card or pc input really. The only pros in terms of the 500u for me were the look of it and the speakers. Now on the other hand the 60u is a newer generation and it's brand new. Now the 50" ph60u actual msrp is 4499.99$ Canadian. And after negotiating i was able to get it for 3800$ Canadian.
So now i'm in the store for literally 2 hours trying to decide what to do?? Should i go for the ph500u which is a demo thats an older generation tv and that's been sitting in the store lit up day in day out for about 5months and that will actually cost me 400$ more then the ph60u or do I go for the new generation ph60u which is brand new sealed in the box and is 400$ cheaper.
Again let me point out that I like the look of the 500u more then ph60u and the speakers are a major bonus (i guess).
Now let me point out as well that I am the type of person that loves to have the newest technology...
So after 2 hours at the store I decided to go with the 50' ph60u instead of the 50' ph500u.
I couldnt justify paying 400$ more for a tv that was a demo and was an older generation tv.
So Can you guys please tell me if i made the right choice? Is the ph500u a great tv (better then the ph60u?). Should I have gone with the 500u? Now sitting at home i'm having second thoughts solely because I like the look of the ph500u much more then the ph60u and the fact that it has better speakers (are they that much better then the 60u)...
And no one knows when the ph600u is coming out and I had to take the tv now because of the exchange made with the samsung.... I have a couple of days to change my mind if I want to si please if anyone can help me out and give me some advice abd feedback on my decision it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you

aprest

04-21-06, 05:47 AM

SchwettyBalz

04-21-06, 06:34 AM

Is anyone here certain that WARM is 6500K? Color-temp is confusing. If 6500K is a reddish white and 10000K is a blueish white, why is blue cool and red warm. Shouldn't red be cool and blue be warm.

They name it based on the art definitions, ie warm colors and cool colors. You are right, blue is a hotter temp than red, just like stars. However, I'm not sure which setting is closest to 6500K. DVE says choose the setting that gives the most natural greys, but that's kinda hard to do by eye. To me it seems like normal.

seattlelite

04-21-06, 01:47 PM

Ok, I will probably get trashed for this stupid question, so here I go. I just got the new Panasonic TH-50PX60U (could only find it at CC) and Sony DVP-NS75H for my DVD player. I've read that it may be better to let the DVD player to send the output in the TV native resolution and let the TV do the upscale. So is that mean I can manually change the TV resolution to 480p, 720p, or 1080i ? I set the output setting on the Sony DVD player to auto instead of a specific resolution but I couldn't find the option in Panasonic menu to change the resolution. I'm using HDMI connection btw. Any help will be appreciated and please don't trash this newbie with his first HDTV :)

On the side note, I'm loving the Panasonic. It's way better than my old 27" CRT :) I can't wait until it's over at least the first 100 hours break in. I currently have all brightness, picture, etc. set at 0. It's still good but a little too dark for my preference.

futurepannyowner

04-21-06, 05:22 PM

Does anyone with Comcast know when the next calibration signals come through? I think I read somewhere that INHD does this on Saturday morning but I don't remember where that was.

futurepannyowner

04-21-06, 05:42 PM

They name it based on the art definitions, ie warm colors and cool colors. You are right, blue is a hotter temp than red, just like stars. However, I'm not sure which setting is closest to 6500K. DVE says choose the setting that gives the most natural greys, but that's kinda hard to do by eye. To me it seems like normal.

Art and Technology just don't mix do they. ;)

when i said little black bars, i meant 4 pixels top and bottom. The DVDS are all 16:9. It is displaying exactly 720 lines and not padding out to 728 if that makes sense. HD content over Cox does not have the two 4pixel height bars at the top and bottom. Only this player no matter what the DVD format is, even the menu system leaves the 4 pixel lines top and bottom. It is not a matter of the format of the disc.

Sorry about that, I guess it looks like an underscan issue similar to the one with my PS2.

10k

04-21-06, 06:31 PM

Someone asked for details on experiences using a PX60 with an HTPC.

I have a 42px60u and a computer running Fedora Core 4 with kernel 2.6.16, Xorg 6.8.2, and nvidia drivers 8756 (geforce fx5200). I attached the pc using a DVI->HDMI cable.

Initially I was using an older version of the nvidia drivers. I tried googling for modelines for 1366x768, 1368x768, etc etc but none of them would work. Once I found out there was a new version of the nvidia drivers I upgraded and deleted all the custom modelines from my config. The computer then automatically recognized the display and chose a resolution of 1280x720.

Here is the Xorg logfile output:
(--) NVIDIA(0): Connected display device(s) on GeForce FX 5200 at PCI:2:0:0:
(--) NVIDIA(0): Panasonic PANASONIC-TV (DFP-0)
(--) NVIDIA(0): Panasonic PANASONIC-TV (DFP-0): 135 MHz maximum pixel clock
(--) NVIDIA(0): Panasonic PANASONIC-TV (DFP-0): Internal Single Link TMDS
...
(II) NVIDIA(0): Virtual screen size determined to be 1280 x 720
(WW) NVIDIA(0): No size information available in DFP-0's EDID; cannot compute
(WW) NVIDIA(0): DPI from EDID.
(==) NVIDIA(0): DPI set to (75, 75); computed from built-in default

I know it isnt pixel perfect mapping but my DVD's look fantastic on it and I'm not doing any web browsing or anything on the thing so I dont care.

One thing to note is that when i first hooked it up the TV had the HDMI input default to vivid mode and just the bootup sequence of some text scrolling on a black background caused image retention that lasted a few minutes.

Also, in case anyone is having trouble with mplayer and aspect ratios, you have to set: monitoraspect=16:9 in your ~/.mplayer/config file or mplayer will assume 4:3 aspect ratio.

Everything looks great. I have been most impressed with this tv when I watched the Appleseed (2004) movie and while playing Ghost Recon on xbox360.

(edit)I forgot to mention, there is overscan on the hdmi input but I think you can adjust it away using the program "nvidia-settings".(/edit)
Cheers.

svgtom

04-21-06, 07:50 PM

Does anyone with Comcast know when the next calibration signals come through? I think I read somewhere that INHD does this on Saturday morning but I don't remember where that was.
I was going to ask the same thing about INHD. From what I remember from the post, they show the signals every Saturday at 7am EST. How long do they show them for? Is it only a couple of minutes? I'm guessing the best thing to do is record them and calibrate later.

senkou

04-21-06, 10:11 PM

Just to confirm this, I believe that I have a first generation PS2 and I also see the letterboxing problem with the 2" black bars on either side of the signal. (even when setting PS2 to 16:9)

Is there a way to make these black bars lighter, or is this something being produced from the PS2? After playing some PS2 on my new Panasonic, I'm not sure I can go back to my 19" CRT, regardless of whether those black bars are there or not :)

I also have this problem with the PS2 and the 3760U. I have a v4 PS2, settings (16:9), and I've tried using composite and component video cables. I can adjust the screen position in certain games by moving the screen left or right, but there is no option to fill the screen. I thought I could have used the Zoom function in the TV setup menu, but it was greyed out. Is there a possibility for burn-in with the black-bars? I only play for about 1-2 hours at a time.

10k

04-21-06, 10:33 PM

I also have this problem with the PS2 and the 3760U. I have a v4 PS2, settings (16:9), and I've tried using composite and component video cables. I can adjust the screen position in certain games by moving the screen left or right, but there is no option to fill the screen. I thought I could have used the Zoom function in the TV setup menu, but it was greyed out. Is there a possibility for burn-in with the black-bars? I only play for about 1-2 hours at a time.

I wouldn't worry about it. I just played 6 hours straight of ghost recon on my 42" with all settings at "0" and "cinema" and I dont even have any image retention much less burn-in. My TV is probably 30hours old.

svgtom

04-22-06, 12:47 AM

Can anyone confirm that an upconverting DVD player will yield a better PQ on a 42PX60U than a standard progressive player? I've read conflicting things from a general perspective on why and why not upconverting players are better. How does the 60U's scaler compare to that of a reasonably priced upconverting player? I've read to avoid any players with Faroudja. Are there any upconverting players that work well with the 60U?

flossy

04-22-06, 03:20 AM

optivity

04-22-06, 08:14 AM

Confirmed! I actually have two DVD players hooked up to my TH-42PX60U, my primary one I use is the Oppo OPDV971H with DVI-HDMI connection and my secondary one is a progressive scan Philips DVP-642 connected with component cable. The picture difference is like night and day, the Oppo upconverts to 720P and the picture is absolutely amazing where compared to the DVP-642 the picture has a lot of noise and looks terrible.

Thanks to Optivity for pointing out the Oppo player to me earlier on in this thread, I couldn’t be any happier :D and the PQ couldn’t be any better than it is now watching movies! Also the Oppo has the Faroudja chip; I can’t seem to figure out why people say to avoid it :rolleyes:.Dude... I'm blushing... :o

Many forum participants have reported a macroblocking issue using Faroudja-based DVD players, but I have not experienced this problem with my 50PX50U.

For $199 (w/DVI --> HDMI cable) the OPPO OPDV971H (http://www.oppodigital.com/) is one sweet DVD player... which can definitely tide one over until HD-DVD/Blu-Ray is ready for prime time.

scherer326

04-22-06, 08:41 AM

scherer326

04-22-06, 08:47 AM

can someone please post settings for the plasma post break-in period.

V42

04-22-06, 11:03 AM

Confirmed! I actually have two DVD players hooked up to my TH-42PX60U, my primary one I use is the Oppo OPDV971H with DVI-HDMI connection and my secondary one is a progressive scan Philips DVP-642 connected with component cable. The picture difference is like night and day, the Oppo upconverts to 720P and the picture is absolutely amazing where compared to the DVP-642 the picture has a lot of noise and looks terrible.So how does this prove anything more that the your Oppo is better than your Philips?

Mixing players and connectors proves little. Comparing PQ differences between 480p and upconverted 720P output from your Oppo (using DVI-HDMI since upconvert is only availble with this connector) would be the only meaningful test of upconverting quality, albeit only a single data point.

optivity

04-22-06, 12:01 PM

flossy, with your upconvert dvd player. (what do you have the HDMI resolution on the player set to).

should you set the dvd player resolution to 480p and have the panasonic doing to converting or set it to 720 or 1080The OPPO OPDV971H (http://www.oppodigital.com/) does not support 480p over component, this DVD player is targeted towards users who want to up convert 480i to 720p/1080i.

scherer326

04-22-06, 06:04 PM

flossy

04-22-06, 07:35 PM

So how does this prove anything more that the your Oppo is better than your Philips?

Mixing players and connectors proves little. Comparing PQ differences between 480p and upconverted 720P output from your Oppo (using DVI-HDMI since upconvert is only availble with this connector) would be the only meaningful test of upconverting quality, albeit only a single data point.

I’m not trying to prove anything, I’m simply stating what I’m seeing from the Oppo and Philips player that I have, I’m only trying to answer a members question he had. I am not trying to prove, review or compare anything; just simply stating what my eyes show me.

1234

04-22-06, 09:03 PM

teamhawaii

04-22-06, 11:14 PM

Just got mine today too! So far I love it.. I traded my new Sammy LN-3251D LCD in for it. IMO the Panny has a better picture. The changes from color to color are better, SD content looks smoother, subtle colors are more noticeable, the set is bigger, I can stretch HD sources.....

1) How do I stretch SD viewing without it also stretching HD?
I dont think you can.. now that the set allows you to stretch HD content, there is no way that I know of to have it differentiate.

2) Is there any way to make these settings permanent?
I havent found one... I notice if I use JUST mode to stretch an HD signal, turn off the TV, when I turn it back on, its no longer stretched. I bet it will stick if I kept it on an SD source.

3) Should I have the STB do the stretching or the TV?
I like for the TV to do it.. only problem there is you need to use two remotes, the TV and the STB remotes. Plus, my STB does not do JUST mode, it does a STRETCH or similar to the H-Fill. :(

One minor deal that I've found is that I lose a smidge of screen view due to a slight vertical overscan. With the DVE template thingy, I see just before the 5% mark, which is still decent, but I guess the mark to shoot for is the 2.5% one or something.. not a big deal.

ComputerGuy

04-23-06, 07:50 AM

DeltaOne

04-23-06, 08:32 AM

Just got my 37 today. I have it hooked up via component cables to my Comcast SA8300. I have the STB outputting 1080i. I have a couple of questions hopefully someone can answer.
1) How do I stretch SD viewing without it also stretching HD?
2) Is there any way to make these settings permanent?
3) Should I have the STB do the stretching or the TV?
Just yesterday I set up my new 50" Panasonic. I found a setting in our Motorola STB to stretch 480p content to fill the screen. It only stretches 480p content, leaving everything else alone.

I also found a tip to watch SD content via a s-video cable. Turns out the STB has to convert SD content so it can be sent to the TV via component cable. Some STB's don't do such a good job of converting the content. SD looks better on my set from the s-video cable than it does from the component cable. Later this summer, when Comcast takes over from Adelphia, I hope to get a STB with HDMI output.

assJack1

04-23-06, 08:39 AM

PLEASE ADVISE:

I have the 42px60u and love the picture but for some reason on dark shows or movies (expecially HBO-HD), I see rainbow colors on occasion. What is causing this. Should I adjust something in the settings, i.e. picture?, brightness?, color?, tint?

Need help.

Do a search on "rainbows" and "plasma". There was an extensive thread about this subject last year. SOME people are sensitive to some type of display generated effect.

I have never seen it.

teamhawaii

04-23-06, 09:09 AM

teamhawaii

I have the Samsung also. I am also thinking about trading mine in for the panasonic.

Are you glad you traded it in, any regrets? Also is the SD picture better than the samsung? How does the HD pic compare with the Samsung?

Thanks.

Yes, I'm glad. For me it was a $200 difference, however, I ended up with a bigger screen, and IMO a better picture. It seems to me the Panny has a more refined picture. Take for example, Sin City. On the Sammy, it looked awesome, dont get me wrong, however, it didnt pull out the subtle colors of the film. Sin City is not all black and white, it has subtle fleshy colors, yellow, red, etc. On the Sammy, those colors were not as evident as on the Panny. On the Panny, you can see more detail in the blacks, not to mention all the subtle colors. I compared them after using DVE on both sets.

The SD picture on the Panny looks smoother or less harsh than the Sammy. I dunno, could be just me. But this is also after doing the sharpness test. I like the Panny SD pic better.

The HD picture looked a little better on the Sammy. But truly not by much. What it came down to for me was which HD picture looked better from the distance I normally view. Using both 1080i and 720p sources, up close, the Sammy had better definition. However at my viewing distance, they both looked GREAT (about 8 feet). I could not choose one over the other. What got me though, at that distance, the Panny was bigger so it was an obvious choice :D

Hope that helps.

flossy

04-23-06, 09:31 AM

teamhawaii, you mind posting your settings after using DVE? Thanks.

colitj92

04-23-06, 11:29 AM

Hi all,
I'm new to this forum and a new owner of a Panasonic TH-37PX60U.
Very pleased with the product but did notice a bit of whistling whenever the image shifts from dark to light. Has anyone noticed this and or has a fix. Also, any sound setting I should try that not washout dialogue. The set sounds great but difficult hearing the spoken content when music is in the background. Thanks

ComputerGuy

04-23-06, 12:40 PM

teamhawaii

Thanks, that makes sense. So basically lower resolutions pictures are better on the Panasonic, since it is a lower resolution monitor than the Samsung. Also dark details are much better. Samsung wins for HD. Although over all Panasonic wins, since it is also bigger.

mrfett

04-23-06, 02:17 PM

plazman

04-23-06, 03:03 PM

I got a Panasonic TH-42PX60U and Toshiba SD-V594 (upconverting DVD with HDMI) this week. I'm getting my HDTV signal from a Motorola 6208. I've spent the last several days looking for recommendations on how to set all the resolutions on the different devices. I've been switching between 1080i and 760p on the 6208, and trying those and 480p on the DVD player. I'm really not sure I can see any difference at all between any of the settings.

I understand that most channels broadcast in 1080i except ABC and Fox. But the TV's native resolution is 760p, right? So, should the box be set to 1080i or 760p? With DVDs, if I use the upconverting functionality, should I also use 760p, or will the upconverting to 1080i from DVD player to TV doing its own rescaling back down look better? I would just like to get other people's opinions. I know its a pretty subjective thing, but any comments would be welcome.

Also, what do you guys look for when deciding one setting looks better than another?

0. Native resolution on your set is 720p (if I am not mistaken)

1. What looks better - you be the guide :p

2. For the STB I would pass all resolutions - 480i, 480p,720p,1080i to the Panny to scale and display (select pass through if possible).

3. DVD, I would choose 480p or 720p, you can also try 480i and 1080i to see if you get a better picture. I have found that 480p and 720p look the best.

4. I would not use the speakers for the Panny :rolleyes:

mrfett

04-23-06, 03:42 PM

thanks a lot for the response! I really can't see a difference no matter what settings i choose :o

Elemental1

04-23-06, 05:24 PM

0. Native resolution on your set is 720p (if I am not mistaken)

It's not a Pioneer..and it's a 42"!
720p? Come on now ;)

plazman

04-23-06, 05:42 PM

It's not a Pioneer..and it's a 42"!
720p? Come on now ;)
-----------

:eek: Never owned a 42 inch plasma - went from 37 to 50. My DVD currently upconcerts to 720p and it looks great :)

plazman

04-23-06, 05:43 PM

thanks a lot for the response! I really can't see a difference no matter what settings i choose :o
----------

So as long as you are satisfied with the PQ, that's all that counts in the end :D

mrfett

04-23-06, 06:05 PM

the native resolution of the TH-42PX60U is 1024 x 768. the HDTV rez that most closely corresponds to is 720p, no?

Elemental1

04-23-06, 06:05 PM

-----------

:eek: Never owned a 42 inch plasma - went from 37 to 50. My DVD currently upconcerts to 720p and it looks great :)

Hehe...just messing with you ;)
Have you tried 1080i?
It might be better (with HDMI).

1234

04-24-06, 10:15 AM

Just out of fear. I lowered my settings to -5 on all settings fo rthe first 100 hrs. Then went to 0 on all contrast, brightness, and sharpness settings for 100 more. Then said the hell with it I'm watching the damn thing as it was meant to be. Been runnung about another 100 hrs watching what I want, the way I want to absolutley no sign of any problems. Futhermore I don't expect any. Please enjoy your new toys and live a little. this will help you and the rest of your family enjoy it to.

Glenee

What are your settings?

jmschnur

04-24-06, 05:23 PM

After 100 hours

P=+9
C=+13

using 720p and HDNet's calibration for B and C

No problem getting my nvidia 6600gt cad to work at 720p 59.943.

Using TheaterTek and AVI DVD with DVE color filter

Color = -5 using warm setting
tint =-2-

TT settings were +14=B and -7=C by the way setting the lelels at 16 and 235 using a calibration program I have.

Display mates resolutio graphs led to me use a -12 sharpness which agreed +/- 2 with the HDNET results.

720p seems to scale a bit better than 1080i using Display Mate.

I bought the service manual and will attack grey scale calibration after 1000 hours.

I note that the white paper from panosonic suggests 1000 hours may be needed for full break in so my computer use and the optimal setting viewing will be limited.

However a quick scan of my Canon cr2 raw pictures from my computer were very impressive.

I will do this again after 500 hours or so.

Joel

tnmartin3

04-24-06, 10:55 PM

Docism

04-25-06, 12:06 AM

I have had my 42PX60U for less than a week now and have started to notice an image effect where it looks like especially white and red images have a silhouette or shadow to the right of the original image. I switched between two DVD players and swapped my composite input to see if that would have an effect, to no avail. I'm I just seeing things or have I done something wrong with the setup? Any ideas?
I think my first response would be to return it ASAP.

Per the Panasonic White Paper...
In the rare event you begin to see a ghost image on the display. Panasonic has incorporated a built-in "white-bar scroll" feature to assist you.

Does this model even have that feature?

tnmartin3

04-25-06, 12:51 AM

I think my first response would be to return it ASAP.

Per the Panasonic White Paper...
In the rare event you begin to see a ghost image on the display. Panasonic has incorporated a built-in "white-bar scroll" feature to assist you.

Does this model even have that feature?

It's definitely not a burn-in issue. I've been following the basic break-in procedures and am closing in on 100 hours. The silhouette is most apparent with white skin tones against a dark, especially dark green/blue, background. The silhouette is red in hue and has a roughly constant horizontal thickness of 0.5 cm. It tracks with the movement of the video across the screen (which is why I'm sure it's not burn-in related). I have to be sitting within about six feet to notice it.

I'm wondering if it could be a problem with my component cables? Either that or I'm just too close to the TV or I'm crazy or worst-case, there's actually problem with the TV. Any advice would be appreciated.

plazman

04-25-06, 06:46 AM

1. I would try a new component cable, to eliminate that angle.

2. 6 ft is about the distance you will see picture artifacts on a 42 inch.

3. Do you see this for types of content? With HD and quality DVD the picture should be absolutely smooth.

4. I would take it back if this problem were encountered for HD sources. I am assuming that you have tried picture settings to reduce sharpness and brightness.

chimpan

04-25-06, 07:51 AM

I just got a 37PX60U about 2 weeks ago.

Last weekend, I played around with the picture settings.

Getting the TV picture to look roughly the same across the Standard/Cinema/Vivid settings required different settings in each picture mode. Standard looked the best to my eye. Cinema had a yellowish tinge that I could not get rid of. Vivid had a bluish tinge that I could not get rid of. Are others experiencing the same thing? This is with the normal temp setting for all 3 picture modes, by the way.

If this is right, then it is probably useful for people to say which picture mode they are using when posting their picture settings.

gusx

04-25-06, 10:40 AM

I also get this delay on the 8300 box. I am using HDMI though.

In addition to this, I am getting a loss of the connection to the TV. It goes blank for a second and then, it displays the "HDMI 1" box in the upper corner and the picture then comes back 2 seconds later. I noticed that it happens more often in HD and when recording (esp. recording HD). I have the input cable to the box coming through a power conditioner. Could this be the problem? Any suggestions?

I did try it in both HDMI ports and I get the same loss of signal, which makes me believe (and hope) that it is not the TV (or else it is both ports).

I am having EXACTLY the same problem except with a Dish/Bell 9200 receiver. Were you able to find a fix for this? It does this everytime i change the channel. Its bareable ... but I have no idea why its doing it. The picture stays perfect after the 2 sec blanking.

Docism

04-25-06, 02:05 PM

Just a real quick suggestion for stand options.

I actually bought mine from Costco about a year ago (I like to plan ahead) I'm using a Gorilla Rack (from Google search Gorilla Rack) - its cheep, its strong, it accomodates all of my peripherals. Its not pretty but its very functional.

kenluvstv

04-25-06, 02:31 PM

Getting the TV picture to look roughly the same across the Standard/Cinema/Vivid settings required different settings in each picture mode.

Doesn't trying to get the same picture across all three defeat the purpose of having those different modes? I mean, why have a mode named "Vivid" if you want its picture to look the same as one named "Standard"? It's not clear to me that the modes have any inherent operational difference. They appear to me to be just three named collections of pre-set variables. If you like your movies to look different than TV shows and if you occasionally want to jump to a more vivid picture, then having three modes with different settings is handy.

But if there's only one way you like the picture to look, why make all three modes look alike? Why not just choose one mode to customize -- Standard, for example -- then watch that one all the time?

Or am I missing something here?

cvalkan4

04-25-06, 04:04 PM

Doesn't trying to get the same picture across all three defeat the purpose of having those different modes? I mean, why have a mode named "Vivid" if you want its picture to look the same as one named "Standard"? It's not clear to me that the modes have any inherent operational difference. They appear to me to be just three named collections of pre-set variables. If you like your movies to look different than TV shows and if you occasionally want to jump to a more vivid picture, then having three modes with different settings is handy.

But if there's only one way you like the picture to look, why make all three modes look alike? Why not just choose one mode to customize -- Standard, for example -- then watch that one all the time?

Or am I missing something here?

I believe chimpan's point is that the baseline mode makes a significant difference, and if we are posting settings for picture, brightness, etc., the results may not be reproducible, or even meaningful, unless we also specify our mode (Vivid, Standard, or Cinema).

I have noticed this also, chimpan, and have wondered what parameters are causing the difference in the modes -- maybe some service menu settings?

Ripper64

04-25-06, 04:14 PM

I am having EXACTLY the same problem except with a Dish/Bell 9200 receiver. Were you able to find a fix for this? It does this everytime i change the channel. Its bareable ... but I have no idea why its doing it. The picture stays perfect after the 2 sec blanking.

I get the same thing on my 9200. I get a little delay the picture comes on. Then it blacks out and comes back on again with HD signals. It never did this with the PX50 that I had. Only the PX60. This is telling me its the TV and not the STB.

Docism

04-25-06, 04:48 PM

Ive seen the question a couple times but missed the answer - HDMI vs. Component?

Ive got a Scientific Atlanta Explore 8300HD cable box through Time Warner so I'm connected HDMI to HDMI. The picture is great. I connected my DVD with Component cables but I'm not watching until I get a little break in time.

plazman

04-25-06, 06:20 PM

Doesn't trying to get the same picture across all three defeat the purpose of having those different modes? I mean, why have a mode named "Vivid" if you want its picture to look the same as one named "Standard"? It's not clear to me that the modes have any inherent operational difference. They appear to me to be just three named collections of pre-set variables. If you like your movies to look different than TV shows and if you occasionally want to jump to a more vivid picture, then having three modes with different settings is handy.

But if there's only one way you like the picture to look, why make all three modes look alike? Why not just choose one mode to customize -- Standard, for example -- then watch that one all the time?

Or am I missing something here?
-------------------

Well on the commercial Panny units for instance you can adjust individual red, blue, green settings as well as settings like input levels, black extensions and gamma. These may also be pre-set for each of the display modes - Vivid, standard, cinema and while you can get the brightness, contrast, tint and color to match, the picture settings that are not accessible by the remote menu may still be different, which may explain the differences in picture quality even with all standard settings being the same.

I do not know for sure, just my conjecture....

chimpan

04-25-06, 08:48 PM

I believe chimpan's point is that the baseline mode makes a significant difference, and if we are posting settings for picture, brightness, etc., the results may not be reproducible, or even meaningful, unless we also specify our mode (Vivid, Standard, or Cinema).

I have noticed this also, chimpan, and have wondered what parameters are causing the difference in the modes -- maybe some service menu settings?
Yes, that is it.

If other are also experiencing this, it could be that service menu settings are different for each baseline mode.

Basically, I got Standard to look good. Then I thought I could make Cinema a brighter version of Standard for daytime viewing (my room has a few windows). But I could not get Cinema to look exactly like Standard.....

At least, thanks to this forum, it seems like this is not a problem with my set.

RicheyPoor

04-25-06, 09:09 PM

Yes, that is it.

If other are also experiencing this, it could be that service menu settings are different for each baseline mode.

Basically, I got Standard to look good. Then I thought I could make Cinema a brighter version of Standard for daytime viewing (my room has a few windows). But I could not get Cinema to look exactly like Standard.....

At least, thanks to this forum, it seems like this is not a problem with my set.It's definitely not your set, the three modes all have there own baseline. You'd be better off using Vivid to give the picture a little more 'snap' for viewing in a bright room as Cinema is by default less contrasty than Standard. Vivid can look acceptable if you turn the sharpness about all the way down (the sharpness baseline is different for each mode also).

gusx

04-25-06, 10:00 PM

I get the same thing on my 9200. I get a little delay the picture comes on. Then it blacks out and comes back on again with HD signals. It never did this with the PX50 that I had. Only the PX60. This is telling me its the TV and not the STB.

I did a few more tests and it seems to only do this on the HDMI inputs. I tried my 9200 on component and it doesnt do it. The annoying thing is that it also does it sometimes when i use the rewind feature on my pvr.

Are you using the original cable that came with the 9200? It seems to be made a lot cheaper than the cables i got from monoprice. The only prob is that my cables from monoprice are passed through the walls in my new house ... moving in 2 weeks. I have no other hdmi cables to test with until i move.

Damonjay

04-25-06, 10:42 PM

Sits out about 7" from the wall

Damonjay

04-25-06, 10:43 PM

Docism

04-25-06, 11:31 PM

Hey... how about that edit button?

So I'm seeing a pattern of people suggesting that component cable is superior to HDMI.

I gota tell you guys that after only 50 hours I'm getting a little anxious.

Ripper64

04-26-06, 12:57 AM

I did a few more tests and it seems to only do this on the HDMI inputs. I tried my 9200 on component and it doesnt do it. The annoying thing is that it also does it sometimes when i use the rewind feature on my pvr.

Are you using the original cable that came with the 9200? It seems to be made a lot cheaper than the cables i got from monoprice. The only prob is that my cables from monoprice are passed through the walls in my new house ... moving in 2 weeks. I have no other hdmi cables to test with until i move.

I am using the HDMI cable supplied with the 9200. Like I said it only did this with the PX60 and not the PX50. The PX50 maybe had a slight delay but none of this on off and on again stuff.

On another note. I was using Avia to adjust my color saturation. Red is dead on zero. Green in underemphasized 25% and blue underemphasized 20% :eek:

gusx

04-26-06, 04:31 AM

So I'm seeing a pattern of people suggesting that component cable is superior to HDMI.

I found that the HDMI input was slightly sharper than component. The difference was very minimal though.

scherer326

04-26-06, 07:44 AM

Question, I am debating about getting my 42px60u professionally caliberated. Is this possible? If so, does anyone know of any good ones in New York City or work in that area.

chimpan

04-26-06, 07:58 AM

Question, I am debating about getting my 42px60u professionally caliberated. Is this possible? If so, does anyone know of any good ones in New York City or work in that area.

I would suggest talking to Kevin Miller. His website is www.isftv.com and his phone/email info is there.

Muncher17

04-26-06, 08:51 AM

sportsnut

04-26-06, 09:06 AM

Hey folks, Thanks to info supplied by Ripper64 in another thread the manuals for Panny's 60 and 600 series are now available online at Panasonics Canada website.

dgwilhel

04-26-06, 07:14 PM

Ripper64

04-26-06, 10:11 PM

I did not get a fix for the problem, but I have confirmed with the panasonic technical support that it occurs on their 60U at their training facility.

I also tried it at several of my friend's house's and got the same issue.

It is not the TV. It is in the HDCP language. I'm not really sure what the problem is, but it is a problem with HDMI, not the TV.

If Its not the TV than why doesn't the PX50 do this, only the PX60. I hope we get some kind of explanation but I am guessing we are SOL. Just have to live with it I guess. I find it a pain in the @ss flipping through each HD channels.

dgwilhel

04-26-06, 10:45 PM

I should clarify my post. I confirmed that my friend's HDTVs (not panasonics, various models) also have this problem with the SA8300HD when using the "List" and "Settings" functions the first time the display is powered on.

I have not had any problems changing channels other than the normal brief delays. But no signal loss.

bialio

04-26-06, 11:28 PM

Hi All,

I'm a new owner of the 42" PX60. Awesome TV!

The question I have is this. I have comcast cable, and I pay the extra $5 for HD - so I"ve got a single cable box at my house. IN the Dallas area.

When I have the cable box hooked up to the PX60, I can get all of the local broadcast HD channels (starting around channel 210). When I bypass the cable box and plug directly into the TV, the PX60 finds a few of the digital stations (channel 81-2, etc), but not all of them. THe only locals I can get in HD are ABC and PBS. I have seen posts elsewhere in avsforum that comcast sends all of the digital locals through in Clear QAM.

So it the problem here the QAM tuner in the TV? Is it not robust enough? The fact that the cable box can tune these channels (and they look great of course) leads me to think that there is sufficient bandwidth on the cabling...... Has anyone had similar issues?

btl.

desertguy

04-27-06, 05:52 PM

jkratze1

04-27-06, 07:15 PM

how long does it take your guys 60us to power on? it takes me around 2 seconds and a screen blip and then all is normal

Same here with my 60U. I was getting the screen blip as well and I am glad to see that others are getting the screen blip also. I guess the blip is normal.

Anyone know what causes the screen blip?

jkratze1

04-27-06, 07:20 PM

Hope this isn't a dumb question.

Can the Panasonic 42PX60U -- or any TV without a PC input be connected to a PC by using a VGA-to-component adapter/converter?

I'm only days away from buying something -- either in a store or online -- and have narrowed by choices to this Panasonic, Samsung R4272 or Toshiba 42HP66.

Lack of PC connectivity could be a deal breaker.

Thanks.

I connect my laptop to my 60U using a DVI to HDMI cable and it works fine.

jkratze1

04-27-06, 07:44 PM

Docism

04-27-06, 07:53 PM

I connect my laptop to my 60U using a DVI to HDMI cable and it works fine.
Cool, thats what I was planning on doing. The only cables I could find were in the $50.00 range... any ideas where to get a cheep one? How is the picture? Would you play games on it?

High Gear

04-27-06, 07:59 PM

No, it's not the same. I tried it and it will not work. Much has changed.

Wouldn't the recommended display settings people suggested for last year's model work just as good on this year's? Or would there be some major differences?

High Gear

04-27-06, 08:08 PM

HDMI carries both video and sound. This is great for one wire connection from the set top box , newer DVD players and newer A/V receivers. My older Onkyo A/V receiver does not have HDMI. I just use optical for the audio. One wire that carries everything will let us all clean out the birds nest from behind our components!

About HDMI inputs:

Being new to all of this chatter, I was looking at the photo of the back of the 60s and noted that there HDMI 1 and 2 Audio in jacks. I thought if you connected with an HDMI cable, you didn't need separate audio inputs. I apologize if this is a silly question, but what are these inputs for?

High Gear

04-27-06, 08:21 PM

Page 18-19 in the manual. You have to scrole down in the picture mode and click on "other adjust". This will bring you to the black level controle.

Does anybody know what color temperature is "Cool" and "Warm"? It seems that "Cool" is about 6500 K and "Warm" about 5000 K. Am I right?

My black level adjustment is grayed out (inaccessible) most of the time. One time, when I was fooling around with the menu, it did change from "light" to "dark". Under what conditions is the black level adjustment accessible? Do you have to go into the service menu?

TIA!

futurepannyowner

04-27-06, 08:33 PM

Same here with my 60U. I was getting the screen blip as well and I am glad to see that others are getting the screen blip also. I guess the blip is normal.

Anyone know what causes the screen blip?

The HDMI signal is reset when the resolution of the source changes. It does not really bother me, I don't know what the big deal is.

tsonee

04-27-06, 10:11 PM

I am noticing a lag between the video and audio on my th-42px60u (from any source). Has anyone else noticed a similar issue? Any idea whether this is normal or else is there any remedy? Thanks.

miw

04-27-06, 10:16 PM

Cool, thats what I was planning on doing. The only cables I could find were in the $50.00 range... any ideas where to get a cheep one? How is the picture? Would you play games on it?

I got mine at monoprice for around $9. Works great.

teamhawaii

04-27-06, 11:12 PM

Hi All,

I am planning to get the 37"PX60U within the next couple of weeks. I have read the entire thread and so far the panny seems to be a good performer. If i'm not mistaken I read that the settings can be saved for different inputs on the TV and that is great, but what about aspect ratio?! I think somebody mentioned that it changes every time channels are changed....that is not so cool. Can anyone confirm this?
Thanks to everybody who has posted in this thread so far....lots of info, very useful.

No the aspect ratio doesnt change between channels. However, I have found on an HD source, that if you set it to say, JUST mode, then power off the unit, when you turn it back on, it will be set to FULL. Now I'm not sure if that has anything to do with the source that its set to when it powers up, but that is something I will need to test. When I get home I will test a SD source power cycle and see if the ratio sticks...

teamhawaii

04-27-06, 11:14 PM

Docism

04-27-06, 11:40 PM

I got mine at monoprice for around $9. Works great.
Excellent, Ill check it out, thanks.

wreckedpig

04-28-06, 12:09 AM

markymark73

04-28-06, 06:03 AM

I am planning to get the 37"PX60U within the next couple of weeks...If i'm not mistaken I read that the settings can be saved for different inputs on the TV

This is semi-correct. Settings are not saved by connection input but rather by three different picture settings (standard, cinema, and vivid). So, you can have three different setups at most. Each connection can then use one of the picture settings.

High Gear

04-28-06, 07:47 AM

Since going to the panasonic setting sand tweeks post and only finding a few that posted their settings. I thought maybe we need a "settings only thread. please state the model, settings and if you used any equipment to do the job.

Panasonic TH-42PX60U
Vivid
Pic. +20
Brightness +13
Color -5
Tint -6
Sharpness -3
Color temp- Normal
Black level set on light.
Used AVIA for test

desertguy

04-28-06, 10:07 AM

No the aspect ratio doesnt change between channels. However, I have found on an HD source, that if you set it to say, JUST mode, then power off the unit, when you turn it back on, it will be set to FULL. Now I'm not sure if that has anything to do with the source that its set to when it powers up, but that is something I will need to test. When I get home I will test a SD source power cycle and see if the ratio sticks...

thanks for clarifying that, teamhawaii

Glenee

04-28-06, 11:35 AM

Docism

04-28-06, 11:52 AM

scherer326

04-28-06, 12:02 PM

Glenee, I have to ask. Settings for HD?

croikee

04-28-06, 12:15 PM

Just got the 42PX60U yesterday and love it. Brand new to plasmas, brand new to HD and I don't want to leave the house, but work calls ;) Even watched some interior home decorating show on Discovery HD during breakfast cause it looks so good!

I have all settings at zero except picture, which is 5. Is that okay or should I zero that out too? Original setting was 20 and I read Panasonic recommends 50% of out of box settings for the first 100 hours?

I want to check how many hours I have too, but when I did the volume and recal deal I got what I THINK is the service menu, but where is the time? What do i need to do AFTER the service menu comes up?

Thanks for providing a newbie with a wealth of info and allowing a great, well thought out purchase!

Ripper64

04-28-06, 01:17 PM

1234 My settings are as follows these are only for cable and seem to be the best compromise between optimum and what you have to allow for standard cable if you want the settings for HDTV/DVD just ask but try these.
Pic Mode Normal
pic +12
Bright+8
Color-3
tint-2
Sharp +15
Color temp Normal
Color Mng OFF
Video NR OFF
3D YC OFF
MPEG NR OFF

Try these bad boys for cable.
Glenee

Those settings seem a little high for cable/satellite. Picture causes a lot of noise and sharpness aswell for cable/satellite. The brightness is close but looks slightly high. If you have a 42" than you might not notice much of a noisy picture but on my 50" it is quite noticeable. I have to have picture down in around 0 and sharpness -23 to all the way off. That is in standard mode and all picture enhancement modes off. I also use normal for color temp. I am in the break in period. I tried raising picture and sharpness and it causes the picture quality to be worse. For HD and DVD's those settings can be jacked up more but it doesn't cut it for cable/satellite.

Glenee

04-28-06, 02:28 PM

The lady asked fot the settings on my 37" 60U that I have in the office. These are for Cox cable in Oklahoma. I am truly glad that you guys don't suffer from NTSC ( Never the same color twice) that we do here in Oklahoma. Start flicking thru your channels and find one setting thats give and take and looks good on all channels. I can't seem to find it. If I found a setting that looked good on National Broadcast at night it looked like crap on the reruns during the day. These are the best settings I have found yet to live with a compromise on a day to day basis. Don't like"em Don't Use"em.

Good Luck'
Glenee

siddi

04-28-06, 03:19 PM

I connect my laptop to my 60U using a DVI to HDMI cable and it works fine.

Do you know if you get 1:1 pixel mapping though? Does your video card support 1366x768 resolution? Are you able to get the full screen on your display without any clipping? Is web browsing good - are all the fonts clear?

Thanks

siddi

04-28-06, 03:27 PM

About HDMI inputs:

Being new to all of this chatter, I was looking at the photo of the back of the 60s and noted that there HDMI 1 and 2 Audio in jacks. I thought if you connected with an HDMI cable, you didn't need separate audio inputs. I apologize if this is a silly question, but what are these inputs for?

Yes, HDMI can carry both audio and video. If, however, you had a device with DVI out connected to the HDMI in (via a DVI-HDMI cable e.g.), you would need to connect the audio seperately, since DVI does not carry audio.

siddi

04-28-06, 03:33 PM

Hey... how about that edit button?

So I'm seeing a pattern of people suggesting that component cable is superior to HDMI.

I gota tell you guys that after only 50 hours I'm getting a little anxious.

HDMI is all-digital. Also, most HDMI input and output sources now support HDCP. HD DVD and SD DVD players support more than 480p output only with HDCP enabled devices, so if you use component, you will not be able to have 720p or 1080i going into your device, you will have to use HDMI.

croikee

04-28-06, 04:47 PM

I'm still trying to figure out how many hours I have on my tv, proably only five or so. I want to watch a dVd though, but anything other than zoom mode gives me bars on top and bottom. Is that going to burn in if i watch a dvd that way? I know plasmas are great for movies, but do you all watch in zoom mode? or will two hours with the bars not do anything at all?

sirbrillo

04-28-06, 08:24 PM

Wierd issue with My 42PX60U HDMI Input 1:

I unplugged my TV while away this week and when I plugged it back in and fired up my digital cable through my HDMI 1, the screen kept flashing like it was trying to establish a signal. I decided to power the tv off and switch to HDMI 2 to see if it fixed the issue. It did, the picture was normal.

Now when I go back to HDMI 1 and swap the cable, I can't get a picture, just snow. I noticed that when I unpluged the TV, I did get the setup screen again. Did I miss a setting? I'm kinda tired here, what am I missing?

croikee

04-28-06, 09:21 PM

futurepannyowner

04-28-06, 09:22 PM

CNET just posted a review of the TH-42PX60U today. They loved it except for the floating blacks problem. They awarded it a 7.5, only the Pioneers and Panny commercial models get a higher rating.

http://reviews.cnet.com/Panasonic_TH_42PX60U/4505-6482_7-31788615.html?tag=links;review

wreckedpig

04-29-06, 01:03 AM

After owning my 50PX60U for 2 days I am sad to say that I may have been sold a lemon. Tonight the tv refused to power on. I press the power button on the tv, the red light lights up, I hear a clicking sound and then it repeats. Redlight, clicking, redlight off, redlight on, clicking, repeat. It keeps doing this cycle until I unplug it. Panasonics helpline is closed so until the morning I am stuck. Has anything like this happened to anyone else?

here is a little update on my situation...

Last night 10pm the tv refused to turn on. I pressed the power button, the red light came on, tv made a clicking sound, redlight went off, repeat. I unplugged the tv and let it sit for 10 minutes and tried again. Same thing. I unplugged it and let it sit for an hour.

11pm. Plug tv back in, press power, tv starts with no problems. I turned it off and back on. So far so good. I leave the tv on while I do some work on my computer.

12:30am. Tv shuts off for no reason whatsoever. I unplug the tv.

1:00am. Plug tv back in. Powers up with no problems. Watch tv until 4am. I assume all is well.

The next day...

12pm. I planned on calling Panansonic but the tv turned on and off several times with no problems. I think I had the tv running non stop for 4 hours.

8pm. Tv starts up with no problems.

9pm. TV shuts off for no reason again. Unpluged it

11pm. Plug TV back in. Starts with no problems. Works perfectly untill....

1:30pm. TV shuts off again for no reason. I unplugged it again and now I am here writing this message.

Does anyone have any idea of what could be causing this? It is really starting to drive me crazy. I really wish these things could have gone wrong when Panasonics help line is open. I really really hope I didn't get a TV with a bad power supply or something like that. I really love the TV, when it is actually working that is.

EDIT: Plugged back in 2am running fine ever since. Calling Panasonic in the morning.

croikee

04-29-06, 01:09 AM

All my dvds still display bars. Specifically, the top gun dvd, the 20th anniversary one, is specifically 16:9. I still get bars on it. My dvd player is an old toshiba, and its set to 16:9 but no options for 1080i or anything, its like five years old. Its hooked up through component. Is there something I need to do on the Panny itself? its the 60u.

dukmahsik

04-29-06, 01:34 AM

croikee

04-29-06, 05:36 AM

even IF the dvd says 16:9 on the back?

markymark73

04-29-06, 06:17 AM

its amazing what happens when you take the time to search. I found my own answer to finding how many hours i've used the tv. Still searching for if black bars during a dvd would hurt during break in or not, if anyone knows shout out the answer please :)

Searching can certainly be a amazing tool ;)

Watching a DVD in FULL mode will not hurt your TV. Just don't watch *only* that. Mix things up a bit, expecially during "break-in". If you want to watch a DVD, watch the DVD...just watch some TV in JUST mode along with your DVDs.

Burn-in is not a myth but, from what I've read/heard, it's kinda tough these days. Mix things up with what you watch (and more importantly *how* you watch it) and you probably won't have any problems.

-mark

ps. congrats on the new set!

V42

04-29-06, 10:30 AM

I really really hope I didn't get a TV with a bad power supply or something like that.You think? :rolleyes:

Maybe some magic incantations would help. Otherwise it's time to start dealing with reality and set up a repair call.

Elemental1

04-29-06, 12:19 PM

even IF the dvd says 16:9 on the back?

Yes.
Now go buy a Panasonic S97 DvD player and hook it up to your 60u with HDMI. Set it up to output 1080i and prepare to be glued to the TV. :D
The S97 comes with a HDMI cable, BTW. ;)

croikee

04-29-06, 12:24 PM

Elemental1 I don't appreciate your response. I just bought a TV now you are tempting me to buy a DVD player....hold on...I hear a strange voice from the electronics store calling my name.... ;)

Seriously though, if I get that dvd player or any with HDMI and could set the resolution, would it then fill the screen too? Still trying to figure out all this resolutoin stuff etc.

croikee

04-29-06, 03:03 PM

I'm on a posting roll. Not good. What is the general thought about calibrating after 100 hours? Panasonic did a 'myth buster' type deal on plasmas and they lay out in good detail the break in process. They say set all settings to 50% that first 1,000 hours actually. I took the standard settings which had everything at zero except picture (+20) and sharpness (+15) and made picture (+3) and sharpness (0).

Now, I've looked at a bunch of postings on settings via calibration cds and most of the settings are still at or around 50% of the factory settings. So, think its a good deal to go ahead at 100 hours and put in some calibration settings? or wait?

sirbrillo

04-29-06, 03:11 PM

skippiks27

04-29-06, 05:06 PM

Seriously though, if I get that dvd player or any with HDMI and could set the resolution, would it then fill the screen too? Still trying to figure out all this resolutoin stuff etc.

Croikee. Don't think of movies in terms of "filling the screen" or not. Movies are created in certain aspect ratios. Certain movies are made in the rectangular shape that corresponds to the aspect ratio 1.85:1, others are 2.35:1, some are 1.66:1 and standard TV and older movies (ie Casablanca) are closer to 1.33:1.

NOW, your television is 1.78:1. That is very close to 1.85:1 but not exact. You may see some slight black bars or you may not because it's so close. BUT all other aspect ratios that are not as close or exactly 1.78:1 you will see some unused space on your TV because the shape of the image is not the same shape exactly as your screen. This space where the image doesn't fit exactly will be filled with bars. These bars make sure that the shape and the integrity of the image is protected and is displayed as it was intended by the director of the art that you are enjoying.

The "16:9" on the DVD package that has you confused has to do with anamorphic encoding and if you're interested you should run a search on the subject. It maximizes the resolution and fills your screen as much as it can without altering the shape of the image. Enjoy your television.

Joxer

04-29-06, 05:54 PM

A 16:9 title on a DVD just means it using anamorphic formatting for a 16:9 frame. But the actual content of the movie can be a wider aspect ratio (usually in very small print on the back of the DVD box) like the common 2.35:1 aspect ratio of many action movies - black bars fill the rest of the 16:9 frame. This is in contrast to the older non-anamorphic DVD titles that used a fixed 4:3 frame and needed even bigger black bars for the same 2.35:1 movie aspect ratio. I'd say at least 1/2 of DVD widescreen movie titles have black bars as part of the 16:9 title frame and are 2.35:1 or larger aspect ratio. Check out some of the super-wide classic titles like Ben Hur, almost 3.0:1 AR for even more black bars! Movies come in a variety of aspect ratios while the DVD frame is fixed to either 4:3 or 16:9, so black bars are a necessity in many cases regardless of the DVD title frame size.

Toshbygosh

04-29-06, 06:48 PM

Just received my 37" today, and I can't get closed caption on the component input from a Scientific Atlanta 4200HD cable box. I am getting cc via s-video. Did you resolve your problem?

Mike

bradesp

04-29-06, 09:09 PM

Yes.
Now go buy a Panasonic S97 DvD player and hook it up to your 60u with HDMI. Set it up to output 1080i and prepare to be glued to the TV. :D
The S97 comes with a HDMI cable, BTW. ;)

I hooked my new 60u up to my new S97 DVD Player just today! Looks awesome! But, I gotta say after much experimentation, I personally found the 720p better looking than the 1080i... I thought the 1080i introduced just a tad of graniness, ymmv.

bradesp

pra3t0r

04-29-06, 09:17 PM

pra3t0r , is your dvd settings on the tv in vivid, make sure that it is in standard

Also, pra3tor, the "Picture" setting is for some TV's, including Panasonic, what others more descriptively call "Contrast" so that is the setting that should be turned down to improve the PQ based on what you have said. Check out some of the posts with settings people have dialed in and see if any of those improve your PQ and your viewing experience. Good luck.

I'm not experiencing this. What are your settings, how are your components hooked up, etc? My image looks very vivid and three-dimensional. To adjust contrast, go into the menu, click the first option, and adjust Picture. Panasonic calls "contrast" picture.
Thanks for the tips, guys. That was the problem. It's too bad Vivid mode can't be adjusted more. If it wasn't for the edge sharpening, high contrast, and reduced color palatte... it would display a great picture.

My picture looks very nice now in Standard settings.

Just watched "Good Fellas" and it looked great.

teamhawaii

04-29-06, 11:37 PM

whats the effect of calibrating BEFORE the 100hr break in point?? and in calibrating, I mean using DVE, not a professional..

scherer326

04-30-06, 08:34 AM

which is a better disc to do the calibration with yourself, DVE or AVIA?

miccos

04-30-06, 08:52 AM

Has anyone tried a black level fix on the 42px60u? I got rid of two Hitachis due to this problem and am horrified to find it on my beloved panasonic.

Suggestions anyone?

futurepannyowner

04-30-06, 09:50 PM

whats the effect of calibrating BEFORE the 100hr break in point?? and in calibrating, I mean using DVE, not a professional..

While the set is breaking in, the picture shifts more than it does than later in its lifespan. You can calibrate it, but the picture will shift and need to be recalibrated. If you don't mind the extra work, go ahead and calibrate.

desertguy

04-30-06, 10:13 PM

Hi guys, just bought the 42px60U (so exited) have to waite till friday for delivery though. Have some questions, so here we go...at this time I only have an older model DVD player that outputs 480i over component (no progressive scan) will I get a decent picture from DVD or would i benefit from an progressive scan player? What about upscaling players? If I would buy a new DVD with HDMI out could I sent the picture direct to the panny, and sound to my pio receiver?.....I know lots of questions.....thanks in advance.

futurepannyowner

04-30-06, 10:53 PM

It depends more on the quality of the DVD player you have. Even with an upconverting DVD player the tv has to convert the video from either 720p or 1080i to 1024x768p anyway. I would say you probably won't see the difference in the picture if you spend $200 on a new DVD player that does the same job as your tv. The difference will be noticeable with a $2,000 player that has high quality video processing in it. I don't know which DVD player you have now, but I think you will know when you get your tv and watch a movie if you want to put money into it. A quality progressive scan player could give you improvement you are looking for over a mediocre 480i player for a decent price.

skanter1

05-01-06, 01:10 AM

Hi Everyone,

I'm planning on getting the 37" 60u, just saw it in a store and it looked great. The problem I'm having is how to mount the screen and I'd appreciate any help. Below is a photo of my wall unit with current 27" CRT:

http://skanter.smugmug.com/photos/65614533-L.jpg

I want to keep this wall unit, and mount the 37" in the place where the current set is, not IN the space but on the front of the unit. It would sit in front of the center unit and overlap a bit on the two side units.

Some choices I've thought of are a cantilever mount on the back wall, but I'm not sure I have the stud or two studs needed for that. Another choice would be bolting a piece of wood in the hole and mounting a wall mount on that. There is a shelf on the middle unit that overlaps 4", and the screen could rest there with some other chaining or wiring to the wall units to distribute weight. Of course, attention needs to be paid that the whole thing doesn't topple over, but the TH37PX60 is only 57 lbs., with some added weight for the mounting hardware and wood.

Again, I'd appreciate any ideas as long as you don't recommend throwing out the wall unit and getting a 50" screen (as others have on Tivo forum). ;)

Thanks in advance...

mugwump88

05-01-06, 01:26 AM

Elemental1

05-01-06, 11:41 AM

FWIW, I find that 1080i from my Moto HD cable box give a finer resolution picture with a touch of added noise, while the 720P output is noise free but slightly more dull.

I compared the two during the Masters golf broadcast a few weeks back. I ended up keeping the 1080i setting for the improved clarity. Let me add, watching the Masters at August in HD was stunning on the 60u!

Interesting that the 60u series seems to have issues with noise @ 1080i. My 500u does not and 1080i is just amazing. I put on Jurassic Park (anamorphic 16:9 @ 1.85:1) newer trilogy release and not only did it fill the screen..it was awesome quality. I sure hope DvD's keep this up over the older releases. :)

croikee

05-01-06, 12:01 PM

mugwump88

05-01-06, 01:21 PM

Elemental1 -- The slightly greater noise with 1080i was from a cable broadcast -- no doubt CBS or the cable provider, or both, compress the image a bit too much. But it still looked slightly sharper than 720P.

I'm sure DVDs can be compressed in a less-than-ideal fashion as well.

wtfer

05-01-06, 02:14 PM

Can anyone tell me if they can reduce the dot crawl on the PX60U to the point you can't even see it?
Are the AVIE calibration tests any use for that?

I know that cranking up the brightness all the way high will subdue the dot crawl on other plasma panels, but I haven't tried this on the new Panasonisc.
Does the picture look too washed out as a result?

Can anyone test this for me?

futurepannyowner

05-01-06, 08:24 PM

you all have helped me a ton understand resolution and dvds, I appreciate it. ONe more question (maybe): how do i know if my tv is upscaling dvds? I was told that through component, even if i don't have progressive scan (my dvd player is a toshiba from 2000) that my tv should upscale the picture.

When I hit 'recall' on the remote during hd it says the resolution and aspect ratio such as 1080i etc. When i watch dvds and hit recal it says 480i. Does that mean it isn't upscaling? Or it is and is not mentioning it? Or, well there could be a lot of options. Thanks for the help.

The Recall button displays the resolution of the signal going into the tv. I think DVDs are 720x480 while the 50PX60U has a resolution of 1366x768. If the tv displayed a DVD pixel for pixel the image would only fill 33% of the tvs pixels. In order to fill the screen, the tv blows up the image to fill all the pixels. DVDs can only be produced with so much detail which is why watching movies on screens larger 50 inches will be an amazing experience will HDDVD and Blu-Ray.

Docism

05-01-06, 08:45 PM

skanter1

05-02-06, 01:17 AM

here ya go...
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/7797/goodluckwithallthat3rr.jpg
Seriously... unless your real name is Bob Villa... you're screwed.

Well done! But I don't think I need a wooden frame around the whole thing. How about this?

http://skanter.smugmug.com/photos/67342720-L.jpg

markymark73

05-02-06, 06:10 AM

Well done! But I don't think I need a wooden frame around the whole thing. How about this?

http://skanter.smugmug.com/photos/67342720-L.jpg

Personally, I think that looks pretty strange.

optivity

05-02-06, 06:23 AM

Personally, I think that looks pretty strange.Ixnay on the whole wood cabinet thing... it really detracts from the PDP.

skanter1

05-02-06, 11:25 AM

haveoneolboy

05-02-06, 11:29 AM

Admittedly, it's not ideal, but we're trying to fit the display into the exsisting living room, not totally re-decorate the living room to fit the display.

Really, I just wanted advice on how to MOUNT the thing! ;)

Just get one of the articulating arm mounts. You can mount the arm to the wall behind the tv openening and adjust it to where the tv is just in front of the cabinet.

skanter1

05-02-06, 11:42 AM

Just get one of the articulating arm mounts. You can mount the arm to the wall behind the tv openening and adjust it to where the tv is just in front of the cabinet.

We are considering that, but not sure if there is a stud (or two) back there. All the ones we've seen mount to two studs. Also, those cantilever mounts are EXPENSIVE! ($300-400!) Are there cheaper ones that you know of. The arm does seem like the best solution...

~Ohdee~

05-02-06, 12:31 PM

We are considering that, but not sure if there is a stud (or two) back there. All the ones we've seen mount to two studs. Also, those cantilever mounts are EXPENSIVE! ($300-400!) Are there cheaper ones that you know of. The arm does seem like the best solution...
Why bother buying a plasma display if your intension is to somehow make it fit into a two hundred dollar entertainment unit using the cheapest wall mount possible?

Is it just my opinion or is that silly?

I just bought a new 50 inch display and it’s size will require the dismantling and reconstruction of a built in oak wall unit.

Will it cost me a few bucks, time and some sweet and tears?

Sure it will but the end result will be fantastic!

Why bother polishing a turd? Do it right or don’t do it at all!

Just my opinion! :rolleyes:

skanter1

05-02-06, 01:42 PM

Why bother buying a plasma display if your intension is to somehow make it fit into a two hundred dollar entertainment unit using the cheapest wall mount possible?

Is it just my opinion or is that silly?

I just bought a new 50 inch display and it’s size will require the dismantling and reconstruction of a built in oak wall unit.

Will it cost me a few bucks, time and some sweet and tears?

Sure it will but the end result will be fantastic!

Why bother polishing a turd? Do it right or don’t do it at all!

Just my opinion! :rolleyes:

First of all, it is a $2000 wall unit that was custom made for that wall. Second, I said I did not want a home theater, but a new TV. It's expensive enough, and we cannot afford to buy or build a whole new wall unit to accomodate it. If you did -- good for you!

I think a cantilever arm mounted on the wall will be just fine, thanks...

skanter1

05-02-06, 01:44 PM

Just get one of the articulating arm mounts. You can mount the arm to the wall behind the tv openening and adjust it to where the tv is just in front of the cabinet.

We just checked with a stud finder, and there are two studs right in th space behind the TV opening. Looks like the cantilever arm might be the best way to go -- thanks!

~Ohdee~

05-02-06, 02:46 PM

First of all, it is a $2000 wall unit that was custom made for that wall. Second, I said I did not want a home theater, but a new TV. It's expensive enough, and we cannot afford to buy or build a whole new wall unit to accomodate it. If you did -- good for you!

I think a cantilever arm mounted on the wall will be just fine, thanks...
Now now, don’t get bent out of shape. IF you say you paid 2000.00 for that CUSTOM wall unit I’ll take your word for it. That still doesn’t change the fact the easy and cheapest way will leave you with a polished turd.

I mean how much could that wooden frame possibly cost. (using the example provided by another AVS member) Hell you already have 2000.00 invested into this CUSTOM wall unit. Why not have the same people that made the CUSTOM wall unit add the nice finishing touches so your new display will have the same CUSTOM fit the unit has with your wall.

I guess I’m asking why you would spend 2000.00 on a custom wall unit that will fit your space and 2000.00 (or whatever you end up paying) on a 37 plasma display yet you would refuse to spend the extra few bucks to tie the two together properly?

NathanC

05-02-06, 02:53 PM

Why not get rid of the wall unit thing and put a nice TV stand there? It will look alot nicer, and incorporate your A/V components better. I'm sure the books and trophies can find space in other rooms. I'm not sure how good your idea will look or work, i prefer a nice sleek TV area that's not cluttered by lots of cabinetry or knick knacks.

skanter1

05-02-06, 04:14 PM

Now now, don’t get bent out of shape. IF you say you paid 2000.00 for that CUSTOM wall unit I’ll take your word for it. That still doesn’t change the fact the easy and cheapest way will leave you with a polished turd.

I mean how much could that wooden frame possibly cost. (using the example provided by another AVS member) Hell you already have 2000.00 invested into this CUSTOM wall unit. Why not have the same people that made the CUSTOM wall unit add the nice finishing touches so your new display will have the same CUSTOM fit the unit has with your wall.

I guess I’m asking why you would spend 2000.00 on a custom wall unit that will fit your space and 2000.00 (or whatever you end up paying) on a 37 plasma display yet you would refuse to spend the extra few bucks to tie the two together properly?

Not bent out of shape -- just stating the facts. The photoshopped wooden frame looked pretty good, but is not physically possible (think about it) without designing a new wall/entertainment unit. Customizing the present one does not seem feasible. Really like the present unit as it fits the wall exactly (this is a wall that divides living room/kitchen). I am not a home-theater guy -- just want a new TV.

We will try the unit this way -- if we don't like it we can always get a new wall unit at a later date. Actually, I think it will look just fine.

skanter1

05-02-06, 04:17 PM

Just get one of the articulating arm mounts. You can mount the arm to the wall behind the tv openening and adjust it to where the tv is just in front of the cabinet.

Seems to be a hitch -- the studs are 24" apart, not 16", and canilever mounts I've seen are only for 16" studs. Unless there's a adapter bracket of some kind... :mad:

tdeanHT

05-02-06, 04:31 PM

I picked up my 50PX60U last week, and I've experienced a few of the problems noted here. The most annoying is when I'm watching anime, which is generally very bright and colorful; I notice a very obvious increasing and decreasing of brightness. Is there anyway to turn this off? Is it a feature or a bug?

The second issue is the buzzing coming from the back of the TV. It reminds me of the sound that comes from a power line transformer after it rains. I can only hear it when I get within 6'' of the set. The floor unit at BB, however, does not have this sound. I've read a few people say that it'll eventually go away, but I'd rather not wait until my 30-day warranty has expired to discover it's a bad problem.

Would it be out of line to request a Panasonic technician take a look at the set to make sure it's not defective? Is that uncommon?

TheBlueRaja

05-02-06, 04:37 PM

Hi All,
I recenlty bought a PX60 about a month ago and have been seeing a lot of motion blur on the screen since i bought it. I live over in the UK where were so backward were just getting good dentists and HD telly so unfortunately i still have a normal standard def feed into the screen from my Sky Digital Satellite system via Scart on AV1.

I do however also have an Xbox 360 connected upto the component inputs.

On both the feeds i see motion blur on the screen whilst watching videos on both SD and HD content (although on HD it is harder to see). Whenever you get a shot which pans from left ot right or right ot left, slow or fast, the background just blurs out, which to be honest i wasnt expecting from a Plasma.

So can i ask if this is normal? And if not does anybody have any idea what could be wrong here?