HP PL4260N and PL5060N Owners Thread [Text View] - Page 4

flyjar

09-29-06, 10:36 AM

First thing is a sound problem. When the TV is set to low power mode, it is hit or miss whether the sound will come on or not. Sometimes, I have to turn the set off and on a couple times before the sound comes on. When I use the fast power mode, I haven't noticed that problem.That's odd, I can't see how the power save mode would have anything to do with the speakers. Have you tried muting & un-muting or changing the volume or anything else related to sound? Maybe it's stuck in some mode.
You know how it is fast forwarding through commercials, sometimes you go to far and have to rewind a little. The first couple of times, I could watch the tape rewind. Any more, the picture goes black when rewinding and you have to guess how far to go back. Fast forwarding works fine. The picture never goes black.Sounds like a VCR issue. Does this happen on another TV with that VCR? Rewinding or fast forwarding should have nothing to do with the TV. The signal is just sent to the TV, the TV shouldn't be altering anything. The only TV suggestion I have is to change the aspect to something other than Auto, maybe when rewinding it's trying to switch modes?

I know my VCR has 3 rewind modes, the fastest mode requires pressing stop first, which are all controlled with the same button. Do you know if your VCR is switching in to the faster mode, which might be a black screen?

dirtydan

09-29-06, 10:37 AM

Flyjar, You got any answer for mastack, I don't do either of the things he has a problem with?

lobotron

09-29-06, 11:36 AM

dirtydan

09-29-06, 12:02 PM

I have HP PL4260N and very happy with it. I am using cable vision Scientific Atlanta Explorer 3250HD. Which is better to use component or hdmi cable. The cable box has dvi port so i have monster cable hdmi to dvi. I also have monster componen cable. The guy at bestbuy told me to use component for cable and hdmi for dvd. He said there is no use using hdmi for cable box because something with the output i think refering to 480i 720i 1080i. He said dvd hd does a way better job.

Thanks
Have you tried both? I have same panel and use Dish 622, have found that there is a difference between HDMI and Component, HDMI has a somewhat faded picture, and comp. much more contrasty, so I use Comp., besides I use digital sound to an A/V unit. Some people on the forums have had problems with HDMI and Cable boxes, but you might not, as you are using DVI out of box.

mastack

09-29-06, 12:04 PM

flyjar,

Have you tried muting & un-muting or changing the volume or anything else related to sound?
Yes, I've tried everything I can think of. Even reconnected the speaker wires. Nothing helped except turning it off and back on.

Does this happen on another TV with that VCR?
Never happened on any of my other TVs. That's why this is so strange. This is my first plasma, so I didn't know if it is something specific to them. I'll try changing the aspect of the TV to see if that helps.

Do you know if your VCR is switching in to the faster mode, which might be a black screen?
No, the VCR is not switching. I have two speeds for fast forwarding or rewinding. To get to the faster speed, I need to push the FF button again. Each push of the FF button switches the speed from fast to faster.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Mike

lobotron

09-29-06, 01:33 PM

Do you loose image quality if you use hdmi switch box on HP PL4260N. I found one on ebay

http://cgi.*********/NEW-HDS-21-HDMI-SWITCH-BOX-CONNECT-2-HDMI-ITEMS_W0QQitemZ170034445090QQihZ007QQcategoryZ73390QQssPageN ameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

mastack

09-29-06, 05:08 PM

I went through all the different aspects and it made no difference. I even tried switching the cable connections from Video 1 to Video 2 and still no change. Anything else I can try?

lobotron

09-29-06, 10:54 PM

is there any way to see on a menu if the HP PL426N is on 1024x768 resolution. I can do it on my LCD 32" TV.

Thanks

dirtydan

09-29-06, 11:41 PM

is there any way to see on a menu if the HP PL426N is on 1024x768 resolution. I can do it on my LCD 32" TV.

Thanks
I don't think you will lose anything using an HDMI switch, you will never have a 1024x768 display on your panel, unless it is coming from your computer.

Edit: I found an adapter cable at Monoprice, it is component to vga, this would allow the viewing of 1024x768, I think.

Edit#2: I called HP and was told that component to vga won't work, as it is a oneway connection, so I emailed same question to HP support, will see what they say.

swimbikerun75

09-30-06, 01:04 PM

I have had the 4260 for about 2 1/2 months. i noticed recently while watching cartoons with my son that bright colors such as red and orange tend to be pixilated and the objects of these colors tend to be jagged and have horizontal lines through them. It shows up a little in the attached picture, around the edges of the red house. But iot's much worse than the picture shows.
I have my settings based on what others have posted here, give or take a point or two for personal preference. I've got an HDMI connection from a Scientific Atlanta 8300HD DVR.

Bright 50
Cont 39
Sat 42
Hue 0
Sharp 14
Cold

Any ideas on how to make this better?

dirtydan

09-30-06, 01:18 PM

jkrebs2

09-30-06, 08:09 PM

shock913

09-30-06, 08:39 PM

I just picked up a replacement pl4260n the other day (my other one had a bad hdmi input) and I noticed that my screen doesn't turn off. When I turn the power off, the picture goes off, but the screen is still a soft grey color. I've tried both power settings and it doesn't make a difference. When I actually unplug the power cord the screen finally goes out. Also, my HD programming seems a little off on this one too. It looks okay, but it looks very artifacty (if that makes any sense) it's just not a very crisp picture. If it was my first time with this TV I would have figured it just has a bad picture, but my last one looked great. Has anyone heard of these types of things happening? I'm still under my 30 days at Best Buy, I think I might just take it back and exchange it for another. Interesting side note, when they brought the box out of the back, there were no plastic straps wrapped around the box, like it might have already been opened, who knows.

lobotron

09-30-06, 09:06 PM

DrewN

09-30-06, 10:42 PM

i went to Best Buy yesterday and the were playing Underworld Evolution in the HP PL4260N and my god the video quality was very impresive beautiful. I went to dvd section and bought that dvd. I play that movie on the HP PL4260 and the quality is not as good as best buy. I ent today and sales told me that they offer a service for $99 and they will send a tech guy to make my tv look like that. He ask me if i am using component and moster cables and i said yes. I ask him if he can bring the remote control to see the setting for video and he said they don't have the control.

Does anybody know what video setting Best Buy use in the HP tv for display on the store. it just look amazing.

lol@ Best Buy, they're a fun bunch aren't they? More than likely Best Buy is displaying a 1080i feed from HD Cable or HD Satellite, or using an upconverting DVD player, or even BluRay. Your DVD's resolution is 480p so the picture quality will be inferior. If you don't have HD Programming via Cable or Satellite, then you can buy a decent upconverting DVD player for under $200 USD pretty much anywhere, including Best Buy. The BluRay version is probably the nicest but the player alone will cost you 1k.

As for the service Best Buy is offering--I can't vouch for that, but you can easily confirm what you're seeing at Best Buy by asking a salesperson. Maybe then they'll be forthwith w/o trying to sell you something ;)

jkrebs2

10-01-06, 02:26 PM

Would you all look at something for me and see if you have the same results as I have on my PL4260N?
I'm wondering if I need to return it if you all obtain different results.

Turn off your HP plasma and get in a position where you see a reflection in the screen(look at the image from approx. 3 ft. away). Focus closely and move your head around to visualze the smoothest image of the reflection you are focusing on. Now - as you move your head around to find the "smoothest" reflection - does the reflection distort or get "wavy"? - It is almost like my plasma glass is not 100% smooth or has a clear "film" that has not adhered to the glass in a totally transparent fashion.
I would think this has to effect picture quality? Is this the anti - glare coating causing these image distortions?

Thank you for your help!
I went to Best Buy today and looked at the HP PL4260N they had on display and sure enough their display had the same artifact that I was referring to in my earlier post(post #799) about the "wavy" glass screen.
The hi end Pioneer had it as well. Interestingly, the LG(the company that makes the plasma panel for the HP) did not have it nor did the Panasonic or the Hitachi.
Does anyone have a clue as to what this "distortion" could be? Perhaps - an anti glare coating or film? It is almost like there is a thin piece of clear film on the screen to protect it during transport - you know the kind that you scape with your fingernail and pull it off after you get a product home.
It sure is noticeable when you view a plasma that has this "distortion" and one that does not.
Any ideas from anyone? Does yours exhibit this? I do not know whether to classify it as a problem or not.
Thanks.

shock913

10-02-06, 12:58 PM

So I ended up returning the pl4260n that I talked about in my earlier post. But now this one has a red line that runs the right hand side of the screen from top to bottom. When I first turned it on, the line was there, so I ran the white wash and it went away. Turned the tv on this morning and it's back, and the white wash didn't take it away. So this is the 3rd one I'm on. I'm still under my 30 days at Best Buy, so I'm going to return it again for a 4th. So for the record:
1-Loose HDMI input
2-Would not turn completely off
3-Red line
Also, the 2nd and 3rd's pictures don't seem to be as clear. Has anybody heard of any of these types of issues before. I've heard mostly positive things about this tv so I want to stay with it, but I'm going to be moving onto my 4th. I mean, is there sometype of manufacturing defect recently are what?
Any input would help. Thanks.

flyjar

10-02-06, 01:09 PM

I've had no problems whatsoever. I got my directly from HP, maybe you should do the same. Personally, if I had to return it 3 times, I'd move on to different set entirely.

Deezul

10-02-06, 01:12 PM

So this is the 3rd one I'm on. I'm still under my 30 days at Best Buy, so I'm going to return it again for a 4th. So for the record:
1-Loose HDMI input
2-Would not turn completely off
3-Red line

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. ;) Are you a glutton for punishment? I have the PL4260N, so I'm not criticizing the choice, but man, after the third bad one, I'd just get my money back or get a different model. Just my two cents...

Deezul

Xcessiv

10-04-06, 12:56 PM

dirtydan

10-04-06, 04:34 PM

Does the PL4260N support HDCP? If not, isn't it dangerous for the future?

Also, I noticed that brightness keeps changing on my TV depending on the overall level of blacks and/or whites. Is this a feature or what?
You can always switch to Component to avoid that. You can easily email HP and ask about there support for HDMI. As to the brightnes shift, this usually only happens if your using the "Vivid" setting, or you have "User" settings too high on the brightness and contrast. I have tried the Vivid setting for a short period of time and did see this when signal went to real bright setting then back to darker scene, I have never seen it using any other setting then Vivid.

Edit: This is what I found at the HP support site for HP PL 4260N

What is HDCP?
HDCP stands for High Definition Content Protocol and is a form of copy protection scheme to prevent the copying of the digital Video signal. HDCP enables a secure connection between devices before the signal is displayed.
If you cannot view high-definition video on your TV, most likely the source device is not HDCP compliant.
And from the owners manual:
HDMI HDMI Input (Type A) with HDCP

spwango

10-08-06, 01:09 AM

dirtydan

10-08-06, 10:17 AM

Does this thing have pixel orbiting-type burn in protection or just white wash? I intend to do a widdle xboxing with it, and all the burn in paranoia I've been reading on the net (although there seems to be much more paranoia than actual reports of burn in) has started getting me paranoid. thx.
This is copied from the HP manual;

Image retention protection: If still image
data displays for more than a few minutes,
the image retention prevention function
activates automatically to protect the
screen. If the image disappears, change the
image or change the input source to see an
image.
I hope you understand that better then I do. lol

spwango

10-08-06, 12:39 PM

Yah, I saw that. I wish they would just name the technology they are using. I wish I'd stop reading this forum too ;) I'd probably have just used it and never had an issue nor paranoia. lol. Thanks.

DrewN

10-09-06, 12:18 AM

This is copied from the HP manual;

Image retention protection: If still image
data displays for more than a few minutes,
the image retention prevention function
activates automatically to protect the
screen. If the image disappears, change the
image or change the input source to see an
image.
I hope you understand that better then I do. lol

Sounds llike a screen saver, although I have never seen this myself. And to be honest I'd rather not try and see if it works :p

As for video gaming, I've been doing it for a while now w/o any burn-in or IR but then again I'm overly conscious about static images on my plasma

manofsteele

10-09-06, 10:47 AM

What would be the perfect settings for the break-in phase and then the post break-in phase. I know someone posted them here but I could not find it.

Thanks

spwango

10-09-06, 03:16 PM

As for video gaming, I've been doing it for a while now w/o any burn-in or IR but then again I'm overly conscious about static images on my plasma

Curious, what exactly are you doing to be overly cautious? (I almost PMed you, but I thought others might be interested in the answer)

DrewN

10-09-06, 07:05 PM

Curious, what exactly are you doing to be overly cautious? (I almost PMed you, but I thought others might be interested in the answer)

A couple of things w/ my 360 (bearing in mind that this is my personal experience w/ this plasma)

*Never pause a game for more than 4-5 minutes. If I'm gone for any longer I'll save the game and power down.

*Play in short bursts. I never go longer than 20-30min in a game with static bars (e.g. Saints Row or NHL 07) without hitting the Guide Button on my 360 or flipping the input source to remove the static image. I'll hit Guide or Pause for 5-10 seconds before I continue. This actually isn't too hard, as most of us need to take a small break for that period of time anyway.

I also feel I'm the type of gamer who can get away with gaming on a plasma because my attention span is not long enough for 2-3 hr sessions. I like quick hits like racing, fighting, and action games. I imagine RPG players might have a tougher time, but then again even if you are relatively aware of it then you can always pause the game and switch sources for a small amount of time before continuing.

I would not recommend gaming on a plasma if you have untrustworthy friends or kids who don't give a **** about your stuff and have access to it. The bottom line is--a little bit of responsibility goes a long way. It's not like you have to worry every 5 min about it--at the same time you can't just pause the game and walk away for an hour expecting everything will be OK when you come back.

HTH

DrewN

10-09-06, 07:27 PM

What would be the perfect settings for the break-in phase and then the post break-in phase. I know someone posted them here but I could not find it.

Thanks

It's all personal preference. But ultimately you want to follow the instructions here to avoid burn-in:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=608677

The killers for a new panel are high brightness and contrast settings. During my break in nothing was over 50 and my sharpness, brightness and contrast were turned down waaaay low.

I think I know what you're talking about though, one of our fine members here posted his setttings in his sig. I'll see if I can find it.

flyjar

10-10-06, 10:45 AM

*Never pause a game for more than 4-5 minutes. If I'm gone for any longer I'll save the game and power down.I usually switch it to TV, if it's more than 10 minutes.
*Play in short bursts. I never go longer than 20-30min in a game with static bars (e.g. Saints Row or NHL 07) without hitting the Guide Button on my 360 or flipping the input source to remove the static image. I'll hit Guide or Pause for 5-10 seconds before I continue. This actually isn't too hard, as most of us need to take a small break for that period of time anyway.I play Halo for sometimes 1-2 hours without pausing, there's occasional IR but never burn in. The cut scenes in single player, and score card when you die in multiplayer keeps the screen from being completly static. When I'm done playing I watch TV for 5-10 minutes and all IR if it existed is gone. The games that I find the most annoying is games that don't use the full screen. NHL 2k5 is an example. It's 480p but it doesn't go to the edges, it's really annoying. And stretching it doesn't help because it cuts off too much. The solid lines down the screen aren't a good thing.
I also feel I'm the type of gamer who can get away with gaming on a plasma because my attention span is not long enough for 2-3 hr sessions. I like quick hits like racing, fighting, and action games. I imagine RPG players might have a tougher time, but then again even if you are relatively aware of it then you can always pause the game and switch sources for a small amount of time before continuing.Yeah, I think 4 hours is my maximum, but 1 hour is typical.
I would not recommend gaming on a plasma if you have untrustworthy friends or kids who don't give a **** about your stuff and have access to it. The bottom line is--a little bit of responsibility goes a long way. It's not like you have to worry every 5 min about it--at the same time you can't just pause the game and walk away for an hour expecting everything will be OK when you come back.No kids are even allowed to touch my setup without the wife or myself present. :) That's for burn-in and other reasons as well.

With the way prices keep dropping, if burn-in ever does become a problem I'm not too concerned. Besides a 42" for the bed room would be pretty nice. :)

hathaway65

10-11-06, 03:00 PM

Hello,
You seem to take the time to review this TV. I value your opinion. I want to pull the trigger on this HP 42" Plasma but want you to weigh in on some issues (if you can please?).
How is the standard digital broadcast cable viewing? Non- HD signals. .. Good quality or just fair??
Here is my concern. I have a 36 Sony 4:3 set that can do HD. I get the bars... I hate that.. but have seen 16:9 sets stretch 4:3 and make the picture ugly and distorted. If I go to a 16:9 HD set and mostly watch standard digital television.. will I be disappointed in the picture quality and does the aspect controls on the HP's set, ie: Zoom1, Zoom2, Panoramic distort the standard 4:3 image when streatched to the 16:9 screen?
Do these controls/features work well?

It is just that I am still stuck watching mostly standard 4:3 digital cable broadcasts more of the time than HD ones through my cable box or from my DVD player.

Thank you very much for your imput in advance.

-F

I received my PL4260N yesterday afternoon (got it less than a week after ordering directly from HP). Here are my impressions so far....

PQ is fantastic. I am using an HR10-250 DirecTV DVR connected to the TV via HDMI. When my friend and I first starting watching the HP, we were both amazed at the PQ. We later realized that the HR10-250 was set to 480p output. Once we changed to 720p, we were REALLY amazed. We also tested 1080i output, but IMO there wasn't much difference between 1080i and 720p on the HR10-250.

Colors are very good on this set. I watched recorded versions of CSI Miami (HD), various recordings of Sunrise Earth, and an episode of GetOut filmed in Australia. The HP had fantastic color reproduction without looking over saturated. I personally didn't notice any color pop or push as described in other PDP threads. Skin tones also looked good. Keep in mind that I DID NOT change any settings other than to tone down the brightness and contrast for the 100hr break-in period. This set looks fantastic right out of the box. This was a blessing since my past experience with a 42" LCD required quite a bit of tuning to get a good picture. This was not the case with the HP.

This is my first Plasma and I'm coming from an LCD which I felt had very poor black levels. To me, the HP has great black levels (similar to my 27" Sony CRT), but I can't comment on how it would compare to a Panny, Pioneer, Hitachi, or an NEC PDP. The only thing I can say is that black levels look fine in my home:)

The OSD is very good. It has a crisp, professional, and logical appearance. This was a major change for me coming from a set that had a very poor OSD. My only complaint may be that the text on the OSD is a bit small but I may be able to change that in the menu somewhere. BTW, the zoom modes work well on this set too.

The remote control is also nice. It does not have a backlight, but that's about the only negative thing I can say about it. The buttons have a good feel and the shape is very ergonomical.

Per my earlier post, the asthetics are, IMO, top notch. Very simple and very clean. The bezel does not reflect light and the HP logo is just the right size. There are some logos printed on the lower right hand side of the bezel, but they are very understated and don't attract any attention.

I'm not using the side speakers, so I can't comment on their sound quality or their appearance when mounted on the set. Per an earlier post, I did see both the 42" and 50" sets at my BA with the side speakers and felt they looked fine.

I really don't hear any fan noise from the set. I checked because other threads mention this as an issue with other brands. I wouldn't say this is an issue with the HP at all. The noise coming from my set is quieter than that of my HR10-250.

I have not watched any DVD's yet. My DVD player is old as the hills and the best output it has is S-Video. It isn't even progressive scan. I plan on buying a new upconverting player soon and will report my findings.

OTA looks fantastic, but keep in mind my antenna is connected to my multi-switch and then to my TIVO. So, I'm not connected directly to the TV's built-in HD OTA tuner. Either way, my local HD channels look fantastic.

One last positive comment -- my friend who helped me unpack and install the PL4260N is an LCD fanatic. He and I always argue about LCD and Plasma. After watching my set last night, I think it's fair to say that he is a plasma convert. His biggest complaint about plasma was the space between the pixels and how visible the pixel grid is on a PDP. Last night was the first time he'd seen a plasma at the proper viewing distance (not from 3 feet at a store display) and he was blown away. He currently has a 37" 1080p display LCD and felt the HP had a much better picture. He's now giving serious consideration to the 50" HP for his basement. I think that's a good testimonial to these displays.

So, is everything perfect? No - nothing is. The TV takes a while to display the picture once you turn it on. Again, I'm new to PDP's. This may be normal. After you press the power button, the screen stays black for a second or two until an HP logo appears along with a message that says "initializing". After another 5-8 seconds, the picture will appear. Again, this may be typical of PDP's and isn't a deal breaker.

When I change between resolutions (480, 720, 1080), the screen turns pinkish and blinks a few times until the next resolution is displayed. My LCD took the same amount of time to switch between resolutions but the screen would turn blue until the next solution was set. On the HP, the video signal stays on the screen while transitioning between resolutions but looks awful in the process. I think this is pretty minor because I don't intend to do this much.

The glare of the screen is pretty bad during the day. I have a large window in front of the TV that faces North. I don't get direct sunlight through this window, but I do get quite a bit of ambient light which reflects off the HP's glass. I know this is common on plasmas and I can't complain too much. Luckily I can sit on a different part of my couch to avoid this glare during the day:) I really can't use this as a slam against the HP, but it's something to consider for any potential plasma buyer (regardless of the vendor).

I really wish I had two HDMI inputs. I can take the money I saved and either buy an HDMI switch or a new receiver with HDMI switching built-in should this become an issue. For now, I'm going to have to debate on whether to give my HR10-250 or my new DVD player the HDMI port.

I'll try to post some pics tonight. Overall, I'm very happy with this TV so far. Per my earlier comment, I can't say how it would compare to another major brand, but I have no intention on returning this set to find out:)

dirtydan

10-11-06, 06:12 PM

Hathaway65, I have this panel and it is fine. As to SD, I have Dish 622 and it seems that most SD is good, depends on the source. As to stretching or zooming, the HP by itself won't do the job without some compimise. For me the Dish 622 has a "Partial Zoom" setting that is perfect.

terrybk

10-11-06, 07:48 PM

I've had my 42" for about two weeks now and I noticed a problem with the component in (both). It's connected to my RCA DTV receiver.

After about 20 minutes the pictures starts to show random blocks somewhat like the digital equivalent of tearing in the picture (data errors). Both inputs do it. SV, cable and HDMI don't.

If I disconnect the sync cable (y) for a second it stops. If I power cycle the DTV receiver it will stop. I'm trying to nail down which unit is the problem and not having tons of success. I've beat and wiggled everything. I have an H20 coming so that might help nail it down.

Has anyone seen this type of problem?

I plan on running the DVD through the component inputs and see if that does it.

TK

flyjar

10-12-06, 01:25 PM

Has anyone seen this type of problem?

I plan on running the DVD through the component inputs and see if that does it.Hooking up the DVD player is what I would have suggested. If it still happens, then it's the TV, otherwise it's the cable box or cable provider.

terrybk

10-12-06, 03:17 PM

I agree but it's weird that removing the Y cable and reconnecting fixes it. Maybe one of the outputs are noisey and unloading it temporarily fixes it.

Thanks for the reply!

Terry

eldonjuan

10-13-06, 01:01 AM

Hello Group,

Just writing to say hi and gloat over the purchase of my new hp 4260 i just bought online on the BB website After much debate and research I decided to go with the hp cause it seemed the like the best bang for the buck! I should be picking up my tv tomorrow and will update you guys on my results with it. Thanks for all the good info here and hope to contribue to it as well. :)

saywhat

10-13-06, 01:22 AM

Questions - does it have independent input memories (meaning retains individual picture setting for each input)

And what kind of connectors do speakers use to connect to tv.

thanks.

dirtydan

10-13-06, 10:49 AM

No independent memories for inputs. It has mini plugs for speakers, I added extensions to plugs and put speakers on the floor, they are surprisingly pleasent to listen to if they are not overdriven, I rarely use them as I have an A/V unit.

scoope12

10-13-06, 04:32 PM

Alright, here it is, my official "I just bought one of these" posts. I have pulled a ton of info from this site to help with my purchase decision and my set up - so a big thanks to everybody. Too many to mention!

Here are the high hard ones on setup:

PL5060N bought by an HP employee
Connected via HDMI to a Scientific Atlanta HD8300
Connected to a regular progressive scan DVD player by component
Sitting on an end table in a corner - for now
Sound through an older stereo (hey - it cost a lot back then!)
Seats are b/w 8-14 feet away

The bottom line on this beauty is that I am in love. Just love the set. Classy black finish all around, awesome picture, happy happy. HD picture is stunning. SD picture is good, and when I "stretch" using the box it actually looks good to me so I never really have to see black bars.

HDMI vs. Component
I've only had the HDMI hooked up for a couple of days. The one thing I find is that HD motion looks liquid smooth with the HDMI cable, when it did not with the component. Of course, back when I had component hooked up I wasn't missing anything, but it just looks that much better w/ HDMI. I haven't noticed anything different with SD or with the colour palette or anything. I've heard others see "richer" colours w/ HDMI, but I can't find it. My wife agrees with all these observations BTW, so it's not just me.

Set Top Box Settings
The vid mode is set to the HDMI setting, which makes everything pick automatically. Volume Range is Narrow, because I hate those loud commercials and supposedly that helps. I hated the fact that the volume on the remote doesn't effect the HDMI output level, but I figured out a way to make the standard remote volume button always control my stereo volume. Handy, because I won't be picking up one of the fancy $200 remotes anytime soon. Kudos to this set of forums for tipping me off to the problem and solution BTW.

Picture Settings
I'm waffling back and forth here. I really like the default Cinema look, but I know I should tone things down even further for the burn in period. So I have things dialed back a bit, and the sharpness turned way down as well. It doesn't look as good, and it's tougher to see the details on darker objects or shadowed faces. So I eagerly await the time when I can crank it up just a little, but I'm still a nervous nelly for now.

Elephant Ears
I can't comment on the speakers. I have the TV set up in a corner, and there just isn't room to attach the speakers, so they're still in the box.

Dummy Lesson
If the colours don't look right, spend a few minutes to check all your component cable connections before you spend hours monkeying with the settings. Even if a pro set it up for you. I had 8 guys watch a football game in my family room with the Vikings wearing brown uniforms, and not one of the rocket scientists thought to check the cables. Of course I was watching the 16 little kids that came with them trash my house at the time so I can only take partial blame.

The "Cheap Remote"
The remote doesn't seem cheap to me. It's very light. I like light. And, since I'm using an HD PVR box, the remote is going to go in a drawer somewhere. So I'm not too worried about this one.

What I Use it For
Mostly HD TV content, but SD content as well, and DVDs. No games. The HD content is ridiculously good. Football games blow my mind. SD Football on this set looks worse than on my old 27 incher. I can still watch it, but when you get that angle that shows most of the field the guys all get detail fuzz. HD Hockey looks incredible too, SD hockey looks good.

What really surprised me was the SD content looking as good as it does, even stretched by my cable box. It looks really good. The Food network looks so good that at times I start criticizing the picture as if it was HD - and then I remember that it's only SD. However, as I said before football is not so hot in SD.

Why I Bought This TV
I like my toys, but I'm a total budget nerd. I've been dreaming about a plasma set for over a year, and obsessing about the smartest purchase for at least 3 months. The 42 inch Panny was leading for a time, then I jumped up to 50 and was waiting on the market to keep dropping when the HP opportunity dropped in my lap. Through the employee store I got about $350 off the Best Buy sale price (is this ok to say? if not just blast it out). Anyway, that widened the gap from Panny to the point where it became an easy choice for me, if not a no brainer. I had done the side by side test in store and was very happy with the HP at that point. It's a hell of an upgrade over my used when I got it, 8 year old 27 inch tube.

Conclusion
If I were any happier I'd be doing backflips. And I'm in no shape for backflips.

kariandy

10-14-06, 01:11 AM

First, this is a great thread. I have gotten tons of great info here. Thanks to everyone who has posted their experiences.

I have been researching plasmas for months trying to find the right one at the right price. I finally narrowed by choices down to the 42 inch HP, Samsung, and Panasonic. (I was leaning towards the Samsung.) They each seemed to have great pictures and were available for less than $2000.00. [EDIT]
I am extremely excited. The HP PL5060N looks amazing at BB. I will post a full report after it is delivered.

macrow1969

10-15-06, 06:48 PM

I have had the HP 50" PL5060N since May '06. I have noticed that every now and then the screen flashes black (no signal) for less than a second. I have checked the cable and it is fine. I see this approximately once or twice an hour. I only see it on the Video1 input with S-Video attached.

Has anyone else seen this?
If so, is it a known issue?
Is there a possible Contrast or image setting that I could try disabling that may be causing this?

Thank you in advance!

Deezul

10-16-06, 07:19 AM

Doug_Eldred

10-16-06, 06:24 PM

How are people determining where some of the subsystems come from - "The XXXX came from Panasonic, the YYYY is from LG, etc."?

Doug

DrewN

10-16-06, 06:41 PM

How are people determining where some of the subsystems come from - "The XXXX came from Panasonic, the YYYY is from LG, etc."?

Doug

The PL4260N Service Manual specifically has a section written by LG on servicing the PDP Panel Module, so we know for sure the component is made by LG. I would assume the Service Manual for the older model would have something similar from Panasonic...

flyjar

10-17-06, 10:33 AM

Well did everyone see the good news in Consumer Reports?
HPs rated higher than Panasonic.

http://home.comcast.net/~psrajcok/temp/report.jpg

Doug_Eldred

10-17-06, 10:51 AM

And IIRC the CR article also discusses extended warranties. I'm always interested in what CU thinks, because they're independent and do good research, but it's only AN input into my final decision.

The HP was also one of two picks in the "value" sidebar.

Doug

ocbaud

10-17-06, 02:55 PM

i just bought the PL4260N on saturday [EDIT] (saved $100 by signing up for cox hd service)

wonderful tv so far, when i get home from work i'll be calibrating it with avia(well me and my fiancee, i'm colorblind :( )

bmwhd

10-17-06, 04:57 PM

Forum nOOb here.

I just received my PL4260N and have about 3 days worth of experience so far. I love it!

Only one problem so far (and I see it's been discussed in this thread a couple of times so I apologize but I still don't have an answer) is that I'm running Verizon FIOS with the Motorola 6416 DVR STB using an HDMI cable direct to the PL4260N and getting the "HDMI Audio Unavailable" error. I can't figure out what to do. Verizon hasn't been too much help so far. Any ideas?

dirtydan

10-17-06, 05:05 PM

bmwhd

10-17-06, 05:11 PM

bmwhd, Probably the FIOS box, have you tried running RCA audio cables from box to HP, they are supposed to work if you connect them to the PC in audio, otherwise , if available, use component cable and audio RCAs to the same component input.

Have not tried that. I'm using the RCA audio out from the STB to my receiver with no problem but of course that doesn't do anything for the speakers on the TV. Guess I really need a new receiver with HDMI switching.

dirtydan

10-17-06, 05:25 PM

I don't think you need to do that, the less connections the better. I can use either HDMI or Component, but rarely use HDMI as Component has a more contrasty, saturated pq coming from my Dish box.

ocbaud

10-18-06, 01:04 AM

here be a picture i took tonight of DiscoveryHD :D

http://www.ocbaud.com/pics/comictv.jpg

thats taken with my nikon d50 camera and no flash

posted becasue we all love pictures !

tazram

10-18-06, 11:49 AM

I recently purchased an HPPL4260 Plasma TV. I tried to use the HDMI calbe but was unable to get sound. i was told the DVR PCM frequency needed to be adjusted to 96KHz or lower. Well, there is no way to adjust the frequency on the DVR. Has anyone had this problem?

ocbaud

10-18-06, 11:57 AM

this is stated as having a 1024x768 resolution

when playing my xbox360 with vga cables, it defaults to the max 1360x768 resolution and looks great.

how is that possible?

Doug_Eldred

10-18-06, 01:57 PM

What kinds of TV stands are people using for the PL4260N? There's a dizzying array of them available, so I doubt that one or two "stand out", but I might as well ask! :-)

Doug

scoope12

10-18-06, 02:11 PM

Hey that's a good question Doug, it makes me want to ask my specific version.

My PL5060N is currently sitting on an end table in one corner of my room. There's a short wall on the one side, with an entrance to the room right after the wall ends. That wall is 37 inches, so the TV barely fits spanning the corner on a 45 degree angle.

My challenge is to find a stand that fits that space, and meets our other requirements. Must be wood, have some enclosed non-visible storage, must house a few components. But the big issue is filling the corner space without jutting out past the edge of the wall.

A wall mount doesn't make a lot of sense because I have a sloped ceiling and won't be able to mount it much higher than I would if it sat on a stand, and since the better half wants something under there to store dvds.........

I've done a lot of web searching and a lot of store visiting. Nothing fits that I can find. I get close with a nice unit that just out about 4 inches past the wall, or I can get a unit that is too small for the TV and will have 4 inches of space between it and the walls on either side (will look funny).

Any suggestions out there?

Doug_Eldred

10-18-06, 02:18 PM

I'm not sure of the measurements versus your specific constraints, but at the local mainstream furniture stores (American Furniture Warehouse, Oak Express) I've seen a number of "corner stands". In fact, I've thought some about buying one myself even though I don't have a corner situation, because that would let the LARGE subwoofer coexist more peacefully with the stand. I'd really rather not have the stand project out into the room - it's going to be in an alcove, wall on right and closet wall on left), and finding a depth-small enough stand isn't easy (about 17").

I'm not interested, initially anyway, in a wall mount, partially because with the alcove's depth I'd have to sit closer to the closet than I want. Having a stand so the TV is near the forward closet edge works much better.

Doug

PS: Another possibility to consider might be a local carpenter, or furniture store which makes its own furniture so you can customize the width to meet your exact needs.

ocbaud

10-18-06, 02:53 PM

i bought this corner unit at best buy in september. its a cheap inIt brand but it works fine for me

http://www.ocbaud.com/pics/hdtv.jpg

Doug_Eldred

10-18-06, 06:12 PM

Does the "too small for TV" occur with or without the speakers? If it's with, is detaching them and putting them somewhere else (behind, beside, wall-mounted, whatever) an option?

Doug

Doug_Eldred

10-18-06, 06:17 PM

dirtydan

10-18-06, 07:06 PM

The Consumer Reports table shows the PL4260N having a DVI input. The manual also shows a DVI connector in the discussion ranking inputs from best to worst, but elsewhere says you have to use a DVI-to-HDMI cable and an audio cable instead. Does the PL4260N really have DVI, or just HDMI (and VGA and component and all the rest)?

Doug
No DVI. For lack of room on top of my entertainment center, I removed speakers and put them on carpeted floor at either end of EC, they sound pretty darned good, til they are overdriven.

bmwhd

10-18-06, 11:47 PM

Well, my HDMI audio woes continue.

I had Verizon Fios service tech out today. He replaced the DVR (Motorola 6416) and initially no joy. Then through some combination of selecting different sources on the TV and then going back to HDMI AND switching the DVR on/off we got HDMI audio to work!!!....for about 6 hours :mad:

Tonight, I powered off the DVR and when I turned it back on, once again I get the "HDMI Audio Not Available" error. This is driving me nuts! I've tried reseting the TV and the STB many times, tried switching back and forth between sources on the TV, and all combinations I can think of to get the HDMI to sync up on audio again but nothing seems to work. Any ideas at all?

dirtydan

10-19-06, 12:08 AM

Can you use Component?

bmwhd

10-19-06, 12:42 AM

Can you use Component?

Not sure. I suppose so but the simplicity of the HDMI solution is what I was hoping for. Makes my cable runs easier.

bmwhd

10-19-06, 08:15 AM

Is it possible this is an HDCP handshake issue? I thought that would result in no video too but the video works 100% via HDMI. It's just the HDMI audio that's flaky.

dirtydan

10-19-06, 01:04 PM

Is it possible this is an HDCP handshake issue? I thought that would result in no video too but the video works 100% via HDMI. It's just the HDMI audio that's flaky.
I don't know if it is a handshake problem. As for me, I found that I like the pq with Component better then HDMI, of course I have an A/V unit that sound goes through, but I still have HDMI connected in case my A/V goes out, it works fine and the HP speakers are not bad at all, unless they are overdriven.

bmwhd

10-19-06, 01:19 PM

OK, new theory. The HP website says the PL4260 can't handl PCM freq > 96kHz. Verizon asked me to try the three different audio compression options on the 6416 to see if that has any effect. We'll see tonight when I get home.

Doug_Eldred

10-19-06, 01:42 PM

bmwhd

10-19-06, 02:05 PM

This may not help, but I'd swear I remember seeing a post somewhere (not sure which forum) where a similar "no audio over HDMI" problem turned out to be that one end or the other was set for video only. There was some "audio plus video" setting that wasn't set right.

It also seems suspicious that it worked, you turned it off, and it no longer worked. Could some setting not have been saved, or not be retained across power off/on?

Doug

Hmm...I've thought about that and tried to find anything in either the TV or STB that allows a configuration change of that type for HDMI but no luck so far.

Tonight I will try changing every combination of audio output compression and format from the STB with a reset/power cycle of the TV and STB to see if I can get it to work again.

One other note: The TV immediately switches on and accepts HDMI video (at 1080I, 60 Hz). It then "thinks about" the HDMI audio for about 5 secs and then displays the "HDMI Audio Unavailable" error message. This makes me think that there may be something to the assertion on HP's website that I need to get the STB to keep the PCM frequency at or below 96kHz some how.

rharper

10-19-06, 02:29 PM

The HDMI audio is a "known issue" and apparently is unique to the combination of the HP 4260 N and the Comcast 6412 DVR. You will find threads about it on this forum and on the DVR forum. Supposedly HP is aware of the situation and is allegedly working on a fix. Go to component cables and move on.

I felt like I had tried every setting possible with my cable box and TV. Interesting to hear you got it to work for a little while. HDMI audio does work on SD channels in my setup. Just not on HD channels.

Roger

ocbaud

10-19-06, 02:48 PM

so what is the MAX resolution on the 42" ???

everything i've read shows that 1024x768 is max, but mine displays my xbox 360 as using 1366x768

Doug_Eldred

10-19-06, 02:51 PM

See page 48 of the user guide.

Doug

grjohnso

10-19-06, 03:26 PM

Well, after a bit of waiting I just picked up the 42" model for home to replace an old blown out 10 year old SD RPTV. So far, so good. Still need to upgrade my antenna and DirecTV for HD content, but it looks nice with progressive DVD's and the one HDTV channel I get OTA. Did I mention the need for an antenna upgrade? ;)

Thanks for all the info from the early buyers of this TV. As always, this site has been a great resource.

- Greg

Doug_Eldred

10-19-06, 03:35 PM

As a new owner with (obviously) an old antenna, how's the SD look?

Doug

grjohnso

10-19-06, 06:16 PM

Okay, the original OTA SD signal was pretty bad, only a couple local channels with the one HD channel. I live in Mountain View, CA, so I know I can get a lot of stations based on my location. So, I figured it'd be worth a quick trip to the roof to check the orientation and condition...

I have no idea how old the antenna is, but it's a good medium sized directional. Just a lot of cobwebs and mild corrosion. The biggest issue with it was that it wasn't pointing anywhere useful. I checked antennaweb to see where I should be facing and grabbed my old boyscout compass from the garage and moved the antenna around to the general direction.

Regular SD OTA stations are better now, but still not great. All the Digital stations look pretty good, even in non-HD. I get pretty much all the local HD stations now that I expected with one exception, and those look great.

The one thing I needed to do was adjust the "picture" settings for the different sources. For some reason I didn't think this TV kept track of them differently, but evidently it does. The default 50 sharpness is a bit annoying. Also needed to tune-down brightness and contrast for now while it breaks in.

Anyway, love this thing so far. Good times...

- Greg

Fal29

10-19-06, 09:35 PM

I just purchased a PL506N monday from BB. I love it so far...

I too am having trouble with the HDMI audio (DVR). I am working on a fix right now..... I actually work for Comcast and have been seeing this problem in the field over the last couple of days.

If anyone has been having trouble with this please reply with: which Set-Top you are using, which TV and what are of the country you live in.

I have seen this problem with other brands as well....

-John

saywhat

10-19-06, 10:09 PM

can anyone please tell me what aspect ratios are available for watching in either
4:3 and while watching 16:9?

thanks

dirtydan

10-19-06, 10:50 PM

can anyone please tell me what aspect ratios are available for watching in either
4:3 and while watching 16:9?

thanks
16x9,4x3,Zoom1,and Zoom2

rizo007@EXCITE.C

10-19-06, 11:32 PM

bought PL5060N about a month ago have not used it in the bright mode until the break in period. Today there is a dot on the screen that does not go away I have done the white wash and turned it off for about 8 hrs but is still there. Does anyone know how to fix this problem or any other suggestions.

dirtydan

10-19-06, 11:46 PM

rizo007@EXCITE.C

10-20-06, 12:01 AM

How close do you have to be to see that "dot"?
You have to get really close to see the dot about 3 feet, but I bought the warranty and was wondering if I should return it for an exchange.

dirtydan

10-20-06, 12:27 AM

You have to get really close to see the dot about 3 feet, but I bought the warranty and was wondering if I should return it for an exchange.
If it is just one bad pixel, I don't think they would give you a new one.

saywhat

10-20-06, 01:42 AM

16x9,4x3,Zoom1,and Zoom2

so while watching 4:3 - there is no panaromic? kinda non-linear stretch option.

dirtydan

10-20-06, 09:57 AM

so while watching 4:3 - there is no panaromic? kinda non-linear stretch option.
I think that the only way it will output panarama is if the source is 480l.

Doug_Eldred

10-20-06, 10:35 AM

Well, I'll soon be able to give more experience-based answers - and ask more experience-based questions! I just placed an order for the PL4260N. It actually costs less than the 30+ year old Sony 27" CRT it's replacing - both in absolute dollars and in inflation-adjusted dollars!

Doug

bmwhd

10-20-06, 11:13 AM

Well, I give. No option on the 6416 STB Audio Settings will allow the HDMI audio to come through to the TV. Oh well, component it is.

I know it may seem silly to some but I kinda expect the stuff I pay for to work as advertised. Sure wish I could reproduce that one special combination I stumbled on that made it work for 6 hours before but I can't so time to move on and hope either Motorola or HP come up with a fix down the road.

falsedawn

10-20-06, 01:23 PM

so while watching 4:3 - there is no panaromic? kinda non-linear stretch option.

With s-video input, you have the panorama choice. I haven't seen it elsewhere.

gdavisloop

10-21-06, 01:49 AM

I was about to buy this TV at BB.com's super low price, but I took a look at it in the store and I thought the picture was a bit GREENER than the ones around it.
If there's one thing I hate about most upconverting TVs, is that the picture is too green! I see green detail in faces and shadows and hair all the time.

So if anyone else has a feel for this sort of thing: is the picture on your HP Plasma too green? Or perhaps there's a sample-to-sample variation?

I check and the controls on the HP as well as the sets around it were set to Tint=neutral, color temp = medium

thanks
--Gary

nclee

10-21-06, 10:29 AM

When I went to BB to see the HP set, the 50" looked so dull, it was pathetic. But I bought it anyway based on how the 42" looked.

All I can say is 'For the money, this is the best one around'

grjohnso

10-23-06, 01:32 PM

I'll echo the above post about in-store setup vs home. At the store they didn't have a remote handy for me to verify their settings there, but the TV did appear a bit dull next to some random Pany, Sharp, and other TV's... Definitely a bit off. However I still went ahead and ordered one from HP based on the reviews here and elsewhere, and well, the price was nice too through employee discount..

Once setup at home and calibrated, I have to say I'm impressed. Even toned down a bit, the colors really pop on this thing. Almost seems like too much sometimes, but I've reviewed the saturation and hue a few times now and they are dead on. "Vivid" mode is disabled, and color temp is set to standard for now as my wife's pref, although I might switch it down to cold when she's not looking to see how that goes.

Anyway, just want to confirm that you really can't assume something is setup well in the store, no matter what they say.

Doug_Eldred

10-23-06, 01:56 PM

It's not just the setup. Stores often have sub-optimal feeds, split too many times, poor cables, etc. There's endless ranting about this on some of the other forums, mostly focused on BB and CC. And of course the lighting isn't always ideal, either. I suppose it's not IMPOSSIBLE that a returned unit could be on display (if the return was for something other than a truly unviewable screen). If the remote WAS there at some point, you might be at the mercy of the last person who adjusted it, too!

Doug

PS: Note that at least some settings are accessible from buttons on the side, if the TV itself is physically accessible.

flyjar

10-23-06, 03:21 PM

I would also like to point out that at my local BB the HP looked better than the Panasonic. So I wouldn't rely on the store's setup but at the same time you have to look as something before you buy. A 30 return policy/in home trial is key to making a big purchase.

shawnstell

10-23-06, 03:32 PM

I've had 4260 for 2 months now and I love this TV. I just set up my father-n-laws new 40' LCD Sony XBR Bravia. Side by side the HP looked brighter and clearer HD and SD. Anyway I keep reading about audio probs with HDMI and Comcast 6412. I went into the DVR setup (turn Box off and hit menu). I changed the HDMI audio to pass thru and I changed the 4:3 output to stretched. Now I've never connected the the speakers on my HP, I just got tired of seeing HDMI audio unavailable everytime I changed channels. Now I don't know if theres sound but it probably works and if now it doesn't send real dolby thru the HDMI, I don't really care because HDMI audio is not going to do much for thoose speakers anyway. The other cool thing that happened is now all my COmcast stuff, guide, OSD's are all in the 1080I mode so if SD is on the OSD is still High Def. Now the TV also shows a 1080i input on every channel and my SD reception is unbelieveable. This is a great TV and for the money you can't beat it. This is my 3rd flat screen and by far this is the nicest TV I've ever owned and probably one of the cheapest. Go figure. My wife and I watch this TV everynight and we're still amazed at the picture.

Last thing because I just figured this out. And it's probably here somewhere so sorry but I'm happy I can finally turn the power on with the COmcast remote. The Phillips TV code on the 6412's remote or any comcast remote for that matter will work the HP.

hathaway65

10-24-06, 12:27 PM

Hey,
I just go the HP PL4260N 42" Plasma. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE CAN ANYONE HELP ME!!!

I had a Motoroal cable box with a DVI plug on it. I bought the DVI to HDMI (into the TV)cable and had a good picture. I had to get a Y-adapter to get audio from my cable box (red/white connections) to the single stick pin/plug into my TV. That worked.
Then I swapped my cable box to get an HDMI plug on it so I could goo HDMI to HDMI into my new HP Plasma. Superb picture... NO AUDIO! Very frustrating!
The Y- adapter does not work for audio when I added it and I don't want to go to component cable. Yes, I can use the optical from my cable box to my surround sound system, but then I am not using the speakers that came with the TV and I have to turn on my surround sound system to listen to my TV. I don't like that.
I tried new cables, messing with the audio settings on the Cable box.. nothing. HP support tells me that the cable box needs to be set to PCM Audio... did that.. still no audio!

HELP..... ANYONE GOT ANY RECOMMENDATIONS???
Thanks@!

Doug_Eldred

10-24-06, 12:36 PM

What model cable box do you now have? Recent messages on this forum indicate that there's a known problem with the PL4260N and a specific Motorola box. You may have better luck with the original DVI, or with a component cable, box. Or, a different model HDMI box, if more than one is available from your cable supplier.

Doug

shawnstell

10-24-06, 01:37 PM

If you're using the 6412 comcast box, set the HDMI audio out to pass thru. Get to this menu by turning the box off and hitting menu on the remote. You could also just connect RCA's from the comcast box to the audio input on the tv. The HP does not work right with the comcast box (just the audio). The pass-thru should work. I never connected the speakers but the HDMI audio unavailable message is finally off my screen.

bmwhd

10-25-06, 11:23 AM

I think we've established now that HDMI audio doesn't work from the Motorola 6412 and 6412 STB. The PL4260N just can't sync to it for some reason. HP tech support thinks the 64XXs are passing HDMI audio at an optional frequency above 96kHz which is allowed by the standard but not utilized by most display vendors.

Every combination of Audio options on the STB (Pass through, L-PCM, None) has no effect on this. Same for the STB compression options.

Every combination of power cycle/startup of the STB and PL4260N has no effect on this.

HDMI audio from the Motorola STB is just plain not going to work with the current HDMI firmware on the PL4260N.

hathaway65

10-25-06, 12:15 PM

Her is an update on my no audio issue. I had a Motorola DCT6412 cable box with an DVI to HDMI but wanted a better picture so I swapped it for a DCT3412 box, with HDMI to HDMI. I indeed did get a better picture noticeably on digital channels, but no audio even with the Y-adapter connected. (I shouldn't need it of course because the audio should go through The HDMI to HDMI cable) I tried all the settings on the cable box and every audio settings on the TV using your fixes to try and get the audio to work. I also worked for hours with my cable company's tech support for a resolution and had no improvement.
The Comcast Cable service rep came back last night and swapped in two additional DCT3412 boxes I and got the same problems repeatedly on all units. No audio through HDMI and I have to power off the cable box and them back on to get a picture at all. (this power off/on issue existed before as well with other DCT3412 model cable boxes)
Since I can't get audio from my cable box to TV, I am using a SPDIF optical cable from the cable box to my home theatre system. This is not the preferred solution as I cannot control the volume with my cable box remote, but have to my home theatre remote in addition to my cable box remote.
I now have a Motorola 6412 cable box (hooked up DVI to HDMI) because I can get audio from it (using my Y audio adapter) and don't have to power off/on the cable box. I do of course have a less than superb picture.
I am working with Motorola, HP and Comcast to try and fix this problem and will post if I find a solution.
Please let me know if anyone else has any fixes or things to try?
Thank all!

Doug_Eldred

10-25-06, 12:24 PM

Out of curiosity, what was the original objection to using component video? Can you try that at all, to see how it compares to the other alternatives?

Doug

hathaway65

10-25-06, 03:35 PM

Out of curiosity, what was the original objection to using component video? Can you try that at all, to see how it compares to the other alternatives?

Doug

Thank Doug,
Component works well, but there is a better picture using DVI to HDMI and even better using HDMI to HDMI. I just want the best picture I can get on digital channels and HD ones. I am frustrated it doesn't work using HDMI. There is a noticable difference of PQ when you switch too so now that I have seen it, I of course want it.
-Frank

Doug_Eldred

10-25-06, 04:00 PM

hathaway65

10-25-06, 04:55 PM

So, which cable box / cable do you plan to stay with? I'll be getting Comcast HD cable shortly myself - the TV will arrive on Tuesday. (Actually they wanted to deliver it tomorrow, but the stand doesn't arrive until Friday!)

Doug

I am pressing Comcast to bring me a phase III two tuner DVR (Motorola Cable box model number unknown?) This box is just being release and is in limited supply and only to the tech's in the field.
Motorola tells me that firmware on all their HIGH DEF cable boxes should be 12:35 or higher and this will resove the problem??
I may try the firmware upgrade and the new box if I can get it?
I will advise as soon as I know more.
Thanks
Frank

bmwhd

10-25-06, 06:00 PM

I am pressing Comcast to bring me a phase III two tuner DVR (Motorola Cable box model number unknown?) This box is just being release and is in limited supply and only to the tech's in the field.
Motorola tells me that firmware on all their HIGH DEF cable boxes should be 12:35 or higher and this will resove the problem??
I may try the firmware upgrade and the new box if I can get it?
I will advise as soon as I know more.
Thanks
Frank

I'll be shocked if it does work (HDMI audio from the STB to the TV). The TV just seems to not like any combination of Motorola STB HDMI audio.

ocbaud

10-26-06, 12:31 AM

so, i've got a quick question

i just tested out my dvd player.

its an lg upconverting model running over HDMI(cheap cable but i've got a monoprice one coming tommorow)

i've also got my xbox360 hooked up over vga running at 1024x768(native for this tv)

i tried the LG player under 480p, 720p, and 1080i, and then tried the xbox's dvd player displaying at 1024x768

the xbox was a HUGE difference in picture quality. the picture was so much sharper and more detailed. it wasnt nearly as big a difference, but i would say it was like comparing dvd's to hdtv.

i'm not sure why it was so much better, but i'm thinkin about taking my LG player back if i cant figure it out.

Doug_Eldred

10-26-06, 10:15 AM

FWIW, Wikipedia's "wikibook" on the 6412 says that as of last month both 34xx and all "phases" of the 64xx had converged on 16.xx firmware.

Doug

Hovglove

10-28-06, 01:17 PM

I've had the 4260 for over a month now...so far so good with one exception.... I've noticed a flucuation of the audio from show to show and channel to channel...
Anyone else notice the same?

enlil242

10-29-06, 12:47 PM

hathaway65

10-30-06, 02:49 PM

Update on HP 42" Plasma and no audio through Motorola Set top box.
Comcast came for the third time. More hardware, More troubleshooting.
See my previous posts above. I still have no audio through the HDMI cable from my Motorola set top box and I have to power off/on the cable box to get a picture.
I had a DCT6412 with a DMI. Good picture, and I had to use a Y-adapter to get sound from my cable box to the TV. No power off/on problems (read on).
Comcast Cable switched in 4 boxes with HDMI ports. Finally on this visit, there was some progress. The Tech hooked up HDMI from the cable box, a DCT3412, to the TV. NO SOUND AGAIN. We tried hooking back up the Y-adapter.. Nothing! Again!
THEN.. We went into the set top boxes menu to the advanced HDMI settings screen. We switched the output from HDMI to DVI to try and effect a change. IT WORKED! It must have switched on the audio on the cable box to give me audio through the Y-adapter. Not perfect, but at least this was and is better. We then switched it back to HDMI output and it kept the audio turned on??
Ok.. my my pet peave is that I get "NO HDMI AUDIO" error message splashed on the screen when I turn the TV on, use the DVR function and sometimes when I change channels. And finally, I have still have to turn the TV on, wait until it powers up and then shut the cable box off and then on again to get a picture. A real PAIN!
So I have audio but not HDMI audio, have to power the cable box off and on again and have to endure a pain the the butt NO HDMI erro message occasionally.
I love the picture but I would rather of spend $500 bucks more to get a better set.
What do you all say? Ideas or suggestions? I hope this helps some?
-Frank

Doug_Eldred

10-30-06, 03:13 PM

I'll try this "soon"... My PL4260N will be delivered tomorrow, and I expect to get the STB/DVR within a week or so. I'll try both HDMI and component, but am currently planning to use component due to needing the HDMI connection for something else. In my case, I'll be feeding the audio to my 5.1 speakers, so built-in audio per se isn't an issue. Of course, it depends a bit on which STB/DVR they provide (DVI or HDMI).

Doug

hathaway65

10-30-06, 03:16 PM

Doug_Eldred

10-30-06, 03:17 PM

When I get that far.

Doug

Doug_Eldred

10-30-06, 04:08 PM

bmwhd

10-30-06, 04:13 PM

Out of curiosity, have any of the folks posting here about the "no audio with HDMI" problem also posted in the Comcast or STB-specific forums here? They're probably a larger experience base and might have some thoughts.

Doug

Yes. See here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8701539&&#post8701539)

No joy there either.

The HDMI input on this set is just not going to work well with the Motorola 64XX STB. Go component and be happy (someone told me that here not long ago and they were right).

Doug_Eldred

10-30-06, 04:26 PM

bmwhd

10-30-06, 05:17 PM

That's my plan, for other reasons, but I'll experiment if I can. Frank says he got much better pictures with DVI or HDMI than with component, how about the others who have tried multiple input options?

Doug

The 1080i@60hz video seemed identical to me between HDMI and Component input. Maybe it's my old eyes ;-)

Doug_Eldred

10-30-06, 05:24 PM

Ah, yes, so much depends on the equipment. STBs, TVs, cables (type and quality), cable lengths, interference sources, and EYES! And some can no doubt discern, or tolerate, what others cannot.

In my case, I'm replacing a 1975 Sony Trinitron console TV, so the improvement will be significant!

Doug

hathaway65

11-01-06, 02:29 PM

Arggh, here we go again.
I had a army of Comcast technicians in my home last saturday. He tried another DCT3412 HDMI cable box. No audio! (again) Even with my seperate (Y-adapter) audio cables connected.
So this cable guy is messing around and goes into the advanced HDMI settings on my cable box and switches the HDMI OUPUT to DVI (?) And holy crap, it actually turns on the audio ports on my cable box. It is using the audio cables and not going through the HDMI cable but so what, there was progress.
So my last problem at that time was that the TV (I think it is the TV's fault) would take 6-8 minutes to power on after "Initializing" and come up with no picture. I had audio now, but no picture. So I power off then on again my cable box and bam! I have a picture. Ok.... then....
BIG PROBLEM.... I went to watch TV last night and I couldn't turn OFF the cable box because it was recording something. DAM! I had to remember all the steps to stop the recording in progress without seeing the screen.
What a pain! I am having a Comcast Supervisor contact me this week and I have another appointment scheduled for this weekend.
Here is what I see my choices as:
Get back my cable box with a DVI connection on it?
Go to component cables?
Get a different TV!

Anyone want to weigh in on my frustrations?
Any ideas?

-Frank

Doug_Eldred

11-01-06, 05:14 PM

Not really an answer, but there's an interesting post at http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8789732&&#post8789732 that relates to audio problems with the 64xx STBs.

Doug

scanner57

11-01-06, 08:00 PM

Just ordered a PL4260N from HP through my EPP discount at work. Quick question that for the life of me I can not find the answer to....is this TV compatible with a standard VESA mount. I even looked through the manual on HPs site and no mention of mounting? Any feedback would be great...I have a universal mount with the two brackets, and wall plate (already drilled into the wall from the plasma TV I returned to get this one)...

aaron_sf

11-02-06, 01:32 AM

Today I picked up a 50" PL5060N from BB - they're on sale for around 2000 bucks .. with free delivery! a great price I thought. Sure enough the thing is amazing. But I have some questions, as I am new to plasma screens :

Q: where can I find the service manual for this unit?

Q: where can I find the 'discrete codes' for the IR box? In particular I want to be able to change the 'source/input' without the OSD box popping up .. right now I've got my universal remote using a macro .. <source> followed by N .. where N is a number ... but i'm hoping there's a more 'direct' way to do this...

Q: I keep it in 16:9 wisescreen mode all the time - should I worry about burn-in? Should I be running one of these dvd's I read about? Would leaving it in PC mode and running the iTunes visualizer be a good anti-burn-in device? Or even just a windows screensaver? (eg startfield)

Q: the user guide mentions the unit has built-in anti-burn-in stuff, but what exactly? My friend says his TV shifts pixels around .. is it something along those lines? Anyone know?

Q: why are there no reviews on this unit? Is it new? I can tell you that it looked better than any of the other displays I saw at BB .. I'm just wondering what the catch is... if there is one....?

TIA

flyjar

11-02-06, 10:57 AM

1. http://dl2.ohshare.com/d/1907675/1162482683/HP_Service_Manual.pdf

2. Not sure, it might be in the service manual.

3. Personally I would worry about static images for the first 200 hours. Just use the TV as you normally would, make sure you turn down the brightness and contrast for the first couple hundred hours. I would wait until after the burn-in period before running a PC on it. Personal opinion.

4. The TV automaticly gets "darker" if a scene has been bright for a long period of time. Most people say they only notice this if their TV is set to vivid mode. It also has a 3 minute white wash function that displays an all white screen to get rid of any image retention.

5. Consumer Reports rated it #3 and Panasonic #4. It came out this past month.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8674928&&#post8674928

bmwhd

11-02-06, 11:13 AM

spwango

11-02-06, 12:12 PM

Jis this TV compatible with a standard VESA mount.

I believe it is, but it is hard to say for sure. I purchased my mount at Walmart--If I remember right, the box said it was VESA compliant (it's gone, so I can't look)--I didn't have any problems getting the mount to work with the PL4260N.

swechsler

11-02-06, 04:44 PM

Anyone with a PL5060 want to sell the speakers that came with it (assuming you're not using them)? I just bought one without the box, and of course it didn't come with speakers. If you're not using yours, maybe you'd like to help out a fellow AVSer...?

Normally I wouldn't use them, but I ordered a swivel mount and it's going to sound odd if I'm using my surround sound system when the screen is pointed the other way...

Thanks...

lowbar

11-02-06, 05:15 PM

Anyone want to weigh in on my frustrations?
Any ideas?

-Frank

Frank, get a good pair of component cables and enjoy your TV!

lowbar

Doug_Eldred

11-02-06, 05:30 PM

Doug_Eldred

11-02-06, 05:52 PM

Well, I'm not going to have any results to contribute after all. The Comcast installer just left; I have a 2500-series box, with DVI and component. At a quick glance both seemed about equally good, but I'll know more after more viewing. Optical audio to my 5.1 speakers is fine; I don't even have the speakers on the PL4260N connected.

Frank, I think a long-ago post said DVI was better than component for you, so I'd go that way if you can't get HDMI to work.

Doug

Well, maybe it's really a 6412 after all. The pictures of the 2500 don't look a bit like what I have; the 6412 pictures do. I'll have to look at the menus, or maybe the bottom, to be sure.

At any rate, it's DVI and component video output, not HDMI. That's for sure.

Doug

Doug_Eldred

11-06-06, 09:39 AM

Doug_Eldred

11-06-06, 10:09 AM

Well, maybe it's really a 6412 after all. The pictures of the 2500 don't look a bit like what I have; the 6412 pictures do. I'll have to look at the menus, or maybe the bottom, to be sure.

At any rate, it's DVI and component video output, not HDMI. That's for sure.

Doug

It's definitely a 6412, despite what the installer said; I checked the label on the bottom. (He also left it on 480i, even after I pointed out that INHD looked vertically "squished"!) Both 720p output from the STB, requiring a modest up-convert in the TV, and 1080i, requiring some down-convert in the TV, work fine. If there's a significant difference I haven't found it yet.

With my setup, component video seems to give a better picture than DVI->HDMI; the latter is "washed out" but otherwise fine. That frees the HDMI port for my Mac HTPC to use, unless I decide that VGA is better there, which I doubt.

I seem to be having SOME "button reaction delays" on the STB, but that's obviously not related to the TV itself. See the "Denver - Comcast" thread for more details.

Doug

hockey2112

11-06-06, 02:37 PM

dirtydan

11-06-06, 06:44 PM

I have a question regarding outputting my PC to my PL4260N tv. I am currently building anew PC, and was wondering if this video card has sufficient specs for quality video output to my TV. Any feedback?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814133154

Thanks!
That card should work fine. You will need a DVI to VGA cable, and you might need to update the software for the card. I have an older Nvidia and from what I read it will work, but I have never bothered buying the cable as I have my pc monitor almost in front of me as I sit in my recliner, and my Hp is straight ahead, thus no real need for using HP for a monitor.

hockey2112

11-07-06, 01:09 AM

That card should work fine. You will need a DVI to VGA cable, and you might need to update the software for the card. I have an older Nvidia and from what I read it will work, but I have never bothered buying the cable as I have my pc monitor almost in front of me as I sit in my recliner, and my Hp is straight ahead, thus no real need for using HP for a monitor.

Thanks, dirtydan.

Doug_Eldred

11-07-06, 09:41 AM

I'm having trouble getting 4:3 SD "stretched" for at least the break-in period. It appears that "Panorama" is only available on the 4260 for analog shows, but my Comcast box apparently makes everything appear to be digital. I haven't found a Comcast 6412 setting to "stretch" SD either.

Any suggestions?

Doug

Partially solved. The Comcast's setup menu lets me use 4:3 "stretched" mode. But that only appears to affect "analog" channels - it has no effect on a digital/HD channel broadcasting in SD (for local news, perhaps, or a non-HD football game). Still, it's better than nothing.

Doug

Doug_Eldred

11-07-06, 10:16 AM

It's now been a week since my PL4260N was delivered last Tuesday; I got the Comcast HD cable installed last Thursday. Time for some initial impressions.

The (free) delivery was first rate. They unboxed everything, attached the stand, put it on my TV stand, and gave me the option to keep the box or not; I did. It all took about 20 minutes or so.

It fits my alcove just fine. Its weight and the wide/deep base give me confidence that I'm not going to knock it over accidentally when I need to squirm behind the TV stand for cable or power adjustments, hopefully a rare activity going forward. "Piano black" is a largely personal opinion, but I much prefer the matte finish of this TV, since it's near a window and there's room lighting at the rear of the room. Screen reflections don't seem to be a major problem, though I'll probably add drapes to the window in the near future.

Color and PQ, using out-of-the-box settings, though I have the $30 calibration DVD sold here, are great. Sunday's football games, Discovery HD programming, prime time network programming, etc. are all awesome in HD. My Mac Mini works fine, though again I haven't yet fine-tuned things to get as close to 1:1 as possible.

Unlike what I've read about some TVs, IMO the SD programming looks fine also, both OTA (or from analog cable before the HD upgrade) or from cable, and for both "analog" and "digital" channels on Comcast cable. Watching a DVD from the Sony (480p) or Mini (currently 1080i, but that will probably change) is fine, too. I'm not sure yet where DVDs look "better", Sony or Mini, but I'm guessing that I'll use the Sony for its better remote control features unless the Mini has noticeably better PQ.

I'm undecided but will probably get a Harmony universal remote, to tame the Comcast, HP, Sony (DVD/VCR combo), Logitech (5.1 speakers), and Apple remotes I'm currently juggling. [Update: I just ordered one from Amazon.]

I'm not a gamer, I won't have the TV on 12 hours/day, and I'm not watching one channel at all times, so IR and burn-in aren't major concerns, though I'm running the 100-hours break-in DVD (image) on general principles. The manual doesn't recommend anything specific for break-in, there's just a general warning about static images and logos. I expect to watch mostly HD, some DVDs, some SD, so all in all static images and bars aren't a great concern. (I hope I'm right!)

Basically, I think it's a great TV. If I paid 2x or 5x or 10x I'd no doubt get a "better" TV, but I doubt that it would be THAT much better. Your opinions may vary; I'm a consumer, not a videophile, a snob, or a nitpicker.

Disclaimer: I do work for HP, but in the enterprise Unix (HP-UX) business, so I'm just a customer here. Even without the employee discount I think the value-for-price is good (and prices dropped again this week) compared to other 42" plasmas, similar-sized LCDs, etc. Being able to see it at Best Buy in comparison with others was nice, whatever you think of in-store viewing comparisons.

Doug

hathaway65

11-07-06, 02:20 PM

Ahhh...
I love my new 42 HP Plasma... Great PQ.. but a pain in the rump to get it to talk nice to my Motorola cable box. I have some good news.....
If you have a Motorola DCT64XX series or a DCT 34XX series dual tuner, High Def cable box (mine was issued from Comacast) I can help you if you are having audio and video problems.. Read on....
First a High Def (any model) box with a DVI port seems to work fine for all issues.
But if you try and use a box with an HDMI port on it you are going to have issues.

What are they?

First, go to Radio shack and for $6 bucks, get a Y-adapter cable. Connect the red/white into the audio out on the cable box and the pin like connection into the back of your TV.

Also get a decent HDMI to HDMI cable while you are there if you don't already have one.

Make all your connections.

Connect your COAX (from the wall) into your cable box then your HDMI cable into the cable box and out to your TV. Connect your Y-adapter to the audio ports on the cable box and into the TV.

Then make sure to unplug and re-plug in your cable box and then your TV so after they are connected, they get a hard re-set.

Here is what I had to do on my DCT 3412 box with an HDMI connection:
Press the power button on the front of the cable box, then hit the set up button.
You should be into the main setup screen where you can set your picture type (either 4:3 or 16:9) etc.... go down to Additional HDMI settings and change the "OUTPUT" to DVI. Yes, I know.... It isn't a DVI connection on the back of that cable box. What that does do is toggle on the audio ports on the cable box that your Y-adapter is plugged into.
Then make sure you change the "Standby Mode" settings in the "System" menu on the TV itself. You have two choices, "Low Power" and "Fast Power" Standby Mode.
Changing it to Fast Power mode solves one huge headache for me. When it was set to "Low Power" (the default setting) The TV took too long to power up and grab the video signal, and I had to power off and on my cable box to get a signal. A real pain because you just can't turn the cable box off if you are taping a show. Thus, you can't watch TV.

Change those settings and you are golden.

I am a happier and sane man now.. I hope this helps others... it has been a long road to get to this point.

Best of Luck to all..
-Frank

Doug_Eldred

11-07-06, 02:45 PM

Frank,

Glad you finally got it to work with HDMI!

Just to clarify, you're really talking about an RCA to stereo miniplug cable, right? I use something similar to go from my VCR to an analog input on my 5.1 speakers control box. (Actually it's an iPod-to-stereo cable, but who cares?)

Doug

hathaway65

11-07-06, 02:55 PM

Frank,

Glad you finally got it to work with HDMI!

Just to clarify, you're really talking about an RCA to stereo miniplug adapter, right? I use something similar to go from my VCR to an analog input on my 5.1 speakers control box. (Actually it's an iPod-to-stereo cable, but who cares?)

Doug

Doug,
Yes, it is... just as you described... it is an RCA, pin like connection on one end and split into red and white audio plugs on the other end.

Thanks again Doug for all your help and your suggestions.
-Frank

bmwhd

11-07-06, 03:44 PM

hathaway65

11-07-06, 03:56 PM

Frank, thanks for that update. I continue to hope that a future firmware update from motorola will allow the HDMI audio to work directly as advertised but this is a good work around.

BTW, is there any mechanism for HP to update firmware on the TV? I notice there's a software version number in there somewhere.

HP Support in a phone call today said that they have an update coming in a month or so and they would notify me (and other people who register their TV's) when it is available.
I assume that you would need a PC/laptop to download the update and send it to the TV??
I'll post when or if I know more.
-F

sfderek

11-08-06, 10:58 AM

I just bought the PL5060N at Best Buy and am having a few problems with it.

First off, the TV is very noisy. It makes a buzzing noise that could be heard from my couch 12 feet away with the volume all the way up. It is mounted to the wall.

Next, I'm using an old DirectTV receiver at 480i using the Component Inputs. After 30-60 minutes of watching TV the picture starts getting jagged and shakes back and fourth. Toggling between sources or turning the DirecTV box on and off fixes that, but I've never had a problem with it on my older TV. I haven't seen this problem with my DVD player at 480P.

Has anyone else seen these problems before? Do you think there is a problem with my set?

And how is HP Support? Will they come to my house?

They only way I can transport this TV would be to rent a truck which can get quite expensive.

nclee

11-08-06, 12:10 PM

My PL5060N is quite, no buzzing.

Can't help you with the 480i, I use HDMI and 1080i.

I would ask BB to get a new set, since it buzz so badly.

falsedawn

11-08-06, 12:31 PM

HP Support in a phone call today said that they have an update coming in a month or so and they would notify me (and other people who register their TV's) when it is available.
I assume that you would need a PC/laptop to download the update and send it to the TV??
I'll post when or if I know more.
-F

Thanks. I registered my 5060 today at HP Support online; forgot to do that when I got it last April.

falsedawn

11-08-06, 12:34 PM

scanner57

11-09-06, 03:32 AM

It's been a while since I got my PL5060N. All’s well, but I have noticed that when I am watching a hockey game, with recommended settings from this forum, in some areas the ice has this odd pinkish hue. Almost as though that tone can't be rendered on this set. I also saw this when I DVR’d Saving Private Ryan in HD. In the cloudy areas of the sky, I'd see this pinkish hue.

If I put the set to Vivid, I don't see this anomaly. I was just wondering if there is something else I can try or at least find out what setting I can tweak to get this to go away instead of putting the set to vivid everytime to get rid of this problem.

Any insight would be appreciated ... Thanks!

Not sure what recommended settings you used, but I just received my pl4260N and found that things looked really strange with the sharpness anywhere near default...bball players were kind of glowing, and letters looked somewhat blocky...I brought the sharpness waaay down and the picture looks great! quick disclaimer, I have the contrast and brightness set around 20 for the break-in period...but noticed these anomolies at higher settings as well for brightness and contrast.

A few other comments...overall so far I love the set...

- The universal VESA mount is going to work fine (2 brackets and the wall plate)...just have to remove the two handles and two stand sockets...

- I did notice a slight buzz, but not anything audible from a foot or so away from the set...I couldn't determine if it was the PW supply or not...another owner mentioned a really loud buzz which is probably a faulty Power Supply (which is one place the cheaper sets often skim on)...

- I've also noticed it radiates a bit more heat than the Vizio it replaced...not real bad, but noticeable difference towards the top of the unit...

Now, a couple of questions...

- I am running on the cold setting...manual does not talk much about this...can comeone shed some light on the advantages\disadvantages of these settings - cold, standard, and warm?

- I heard someone talking about using the HDMI for an upconvert DVD player and Component for the cable box? I have a HD DISH cable box which does have a setting for 1080i and also an upconverting DVD player (with a 1080i setting)...any recs on which one to run through the HDMI if I am not switching everything to hdmi through my receiver?

TIA

Scanner57

dirtydan

11-09-06, 11:49 AM

Scanner57
I use "cold" setting, but I don't know the disadvantages/advantages. As to sharpness, it should be set to near the left (lowest point). I have a Video Processor, so all my components go through it via component, the vp is set to 1280x720p. This,to me, is the best I can get. I have HDMI set up also, never use it as it has a slightly washed-out look, but it is hooked-up in case my A/V receiver takes a dump. For you I would suggest using Component for Dish, and Hdmi for DVD. YMMV between 1080i and 720p.
ywia
Dan

Radar

11-09-06, 04:31 PM

Wife and I are considering either a 42 or 50" plasma. Believe it or not, she is the one who suggested the 50" because of the size of the wall where we will be mounting it. Question is, our closest viewing distance will be about 8'; will the 50" be too big, e.g., will we see screen door and individual pixels from that distance?

We plan to watch mostly HD and a little SD. We have a Home Theatre room with a 100" projection screen and Sanyo PLV60 for DVDs.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Ray

Doug_Eldred

11-09-06, 04:42 PM

You might want to take a look at this calculator: http://www.myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html. It'll let you determine good distances for a particular screen size, or a good screen size for a given viewing distance, using a couple of popular "standards".

I don't think plasmas have the screen door problem. With them the goal is to sit far enough away to not see individual pixels, but close enough to not lose detail.

Somewhere I also have a fancy and hard-to-understand chart, but I think the calculator is easier to use anyway.

Doug

enlil242

11-10-06, 09:09 PM

Will_John

11-11-06, 01:44 PM

New member, recently bought the PL4260N. Great picture with my progressive scan dvd player...

I have an issue that I'm not sure I should live with.. or see if i can get an exchange.

Here is my setup.

Progressive Scan dvd-player hooked up to the tv through component 2.

It seems that certain EXACT parts of movies make the screen interlace/distort. The best way to describe it, is that it seems like if the horizontal pixels LAG behind the vertical pixels. This ONLY happens at certain points on dvd's.

1. The Big Lebowski: It cuts from black dark scene, to BRIGHT white(when they go and visit his apartment manager to see his show.

2. Mission Impossible :3. The intro credits, ONLY for Karren Russel(another big bright white flash)

If I skip these parts on the DVD, it never goes to the distortion issue.

I can ALWAYS trigger the distortion on the tv at these certain points on the dvd.

When I stop the DVD, the still logo image is still distorting.

If I just switch from source then back, its fine again.

So, How many think its just an issue with the progressive scan dvd-player?

I plan to buy one of the oppo's in hope that an HDMI-HDMI connection will solve the issue.

Has anyone had issues with quick cut dark to BRIGHT scenes causing an issue?

enlil242

11-12-06, 02:37 PM

Well, I still am not sure what causes this. I noticed it again yesterday on certain shades of white of the ice surface during a hockey game. I found that I can do a "whitewash" and it disappears.

If I see it happen again, I'll take a snapshot and post.

Sadly it happened again and the whitewash didn't get rid of my pinkish anomoly. I finally have pictures. Mind you, these pinkish areas "flicker" and creates a more noticeable anomoly then these staic images. but these images may provide a better picture of what I am talking about (pardon the expression).

If I raise the brightness past "60" it seems to dampen the problem. Again, this only happens in white/grey areas, like ice our clouds.

I feel as though it is most likely a warranty issue ... but thought I'd ask. Thoughts?

Thanks,

Jeff

enlil242

11-12-06, 02:46 PM

dirtydan

11-12-06, 03:36 PM

That is weird. Have you turned down the saturation and contrast to see if that helps? Part of that might be lights reflecting off the ice.

enlil242

11-12-06, 04:04 PM

That is weird. Have you turned down the sayuration and contrast to see if that helps? Part of that might be lights reflecting off the ice.

Thanks for the quick reply!

Well, it happens in cloudy skies as well. It was appearing in Saving Private Ryan (in HD), when they were in that town at the end of the movie as they were preparing for the german army. It appeared all over the sky at certain times as well.

It is hard to tell from these images. I had to scale them down to upload them. But where you see the pink, it "flickers" and is very abnormal and not part of what is on the program.

But it was random. It wouldn't appear all the time. Sometimes when I whitewashed it, it would not appear at all, so it wasn't part of my recording or the video feed.
Also, I will call HP to see what they say. I hope I don't have to cart it down to a repair facility! :(

Jorakal

11-13-06, 09:55 AM

Hello everyone. Recently my 10 year old 36" Zenith croaked, so I decided to finally buy an HDTV. My research led me to this site and this thread about the HP plasma's. I went back and forth between plasma or DLP and finally decided plasma due to recent price drops on 42" sets. This thread has been very informative and helped me decide to go with the HP PL4260N. Best Buy currently has them for 1299. I also got in a promotion to upgrade my cable to HD at the same time (which I was doing anyway) and got another 100 off the price.

So Best Buy delivered it last Friday and set it up on my stand. I have Time Warner Cable. I use their DVR and had the choice of a Scientific Atlanta 8000 HDDVR STB or the 8300 HD DVR STB. The 8000 has DVI and the 8300 has HDMI. I chose the 8300 which included an HDMI cable. I have a Sony dolby digital receiver so hooked the HDMI from the STB to the TV, and the coax digital out from the STB to my receiver. Changed the settings to always put out sound through the digital out and everything works great.

I have a Philips progressive DVD player (non-upconverting). Hooked the component out to the TV and optical digital out to my receiver. Changed the settings to output 16:9 and 480p to components and it works great as well.

Some random thoughts on things I noticed that have been written about in this thread:

There have been a lot of posts about the STB that Comcast rents and problems with sound over the HDMI. Hopefully this will be fixed for all of you soon. However let me say that if at all possible, don't hook sound to the TV. Hook it to a dolby digital receiver/amp. If it is a matter of price or space, buy the absolute cheapest digital receiver or smallest receiver/speaker package you can find and hook it up. It will be worth it to hear dolby digital sound from your HD channels and of course your DVD's. Since I have Time Warner with Scientific Atlanta STB and a digital receiver, I have the best of all worlds I guess since everything works as expected.

The picture quality for SD is at least equal to and most times better than my old tv's. The HD quality on DVD's from the now 480p is very very good. Much better than the 480i I had going to my old tv's. The HD quality certainly gave me the WOW factor. Much much better quality than in the showroom. I used the advice and an average of the posted settings on the USER section. Turned down brightness and contrast etc. Looks awesome. One note is that the picture quality from my STB using HDMI was a little white washed. Then I read in this thread that the TV keeps track of the settings for each source input separately. Sure enough the settings for HDMI were at the factory default. I had originally changed them while watching a DVD through the component 1 source. I now tuned to HDMI, went to settings, and when I turned down the contrast the white wash went away and the picture was breathtaking! WOW. Good info from this thread all right. :)

Twice in the last few days I have seen the message about no audio from HDMI. Now I did not care too much since the digital sound is going through my receiver, but thought I'd play with it just a bit out of curiosity from reading this thread. To confirm what someone else has written, I think it was always after I had turned on my TV. The cable STB was already going. When I got the no audio message, I just turned off and back on my STB and no message. I do think that the delayed turn-on for the TV may have been the culprit. Again for me it doesn't matter, but for those who use HDMI to your TV for sound, you may want to turn on the STB after the TV is fully on, or change the power saving settings for fast turn on.

Using the Philips code on my cable STB remote (remote made by Universal) worked fine for turning on the TV. After the initial TV setup, I find I only use the TV remote to change the source. I'm not sure why a lot of posters said the remote is whimpy. It feels and works fine for me when I need it.

Many comments here about changing the 4:3 display to 16:9 display. The TV picture adjustment/stretch/zoom settings do not work good for me. So if there is any con about this tv it is that. Fortunately for me the Scientific Atlanta 8300 STB has a stretch feature and this works perfectly. The STB zoom1 feature works perfectly for those stations that are broadcasting an HD picture over their SD channel. This is where the picture is 4:3 but has letterbox on top and bottom. The Zoom1 feature stretches it from right to left and from top to bottom to make that kind of picture fit 16:9. So again I'm really happy with the STB from Time Warner.

I am loving this TV and can heartily recommend it to everyone. It is a challenge to get any HDTV set up properly, but once it is done on the HP PL4260N it will certainly WOW you. :)

dirtydan

11-13-06, 10:26 AM

Jorakal, Congrats, It is nice to see that someone made their decision only after reading the posts here. I have this HP and have had no probs. I think your fix for the HDMI sound prob. with cable box is a good one, it took a long time for someone to figure that out.
Dan

peoriaps

11-13-06, 06:24 PM

This one's probably for dirtydan.

Thanks to everyone for the great info here. Over the past day I have read all 32 pages of this thread and am going to order the PL5060 tomorrow. Here's my question --

I currently have basic cable and two Dishnetwork DVR's. I've been debating which way to go on HD -- cable or Dish. After reading, I'm convinced Dish is the best option.

I currently combine the two dish feeds via channel 67 and 79 with the cable signal to all the TV's in the house by using an RF Modulator.

If I replace one of my Dish Receivers with the HD 622, can I feed the 622 signal through the modulator, or will I lose HD quality signal by going through the modulator. It seems that's what the cable company does, so I should be able at least to equal what they provide.

What am I missing?

dirtydan

11-13-06, 06:49 PM

That's a good question, you might get the "tv2" to work that way, but I doubt that "tv1", which is the HD, will work.
Dan

peoriaps

11-14-06, 08:41 AM

I expected that was the case. So - it looks like a direct connect for HD via TV1 and use TV2 through modulator to replicate my existing setup.

BlissJ

11-15-06, 09:05 PM

Partially solved. The Comcast's setup menu lets me use 4:3 "stretched" mode. But that only appears to affect "analog" channels - it has no effect on a digital/HD channel broadcasting in SD (for local news, perhaps, or a non-HD football game). Still, it's better than nothing.

Doug

The reason you can't stretch the HD channels that are showing the sd programming is that the the sidebars are actually being broadcast. It isn't that the reciever is just showing the program at 4:3 but that the network records it at 4:3 then puts the sidebars in because the HD signal they broadcast is always 16:9. If the sidebars are there just watch it on the regular sd channel because you really don't get any better picture the other way.

mantrl

11-15-06, 09:05 PM

I've had the 40" for less than a month now. Everything was great, yesterday the picture went out, the audio can still be heard, but the TV refuses to turn on. I reset the whole thing, followed instructions from HP tech support to no avail. The power button changes to the blue light, but nothing comes on the screen. Seems like I need to get it replaced.

Has anyone experienced this?

BlissJ

11-15-06, 09:21 PM

sfderek

11-15-06, 09:49 PM

nclee

11-15-06, 10:33 PM

OK I just saw a commercial for Hitachi plasma, it is a woman in a flaming red dress walking with a white leopard on a leash made of diamonds, ruby, etc. I can not believe how good that commercial showed on the 5060. It is simply amazing.

CruelInventions

11-16-06, 12:35 PM

The reason you can't stretch the HD channels that are showing the sd programming is that the the sidebars are actually being broadcast. It isn't that the reciever is just showing the program at 4:3 but that the network records it at 4:3 then puts the sidebars in because the HD signal they broadcast is always 16:9. If the sidebars are there just watch it on the regular sd channel because you really don't get any better picture the other way.

Doesn't the ability to stretch these kind of signals have a lot to do with the panel? For example, the Panasonic commercial panels cannot stretch SD content being broadcast from HD channels, though their current consumer panels can do this, as well as some other brand panels.

Doug_Eldred

11-16-06, 12:41 PM

The reason you can't stretch the HD channels that are showing the sd programming is that the the sidebars are actually being broadcast. It isn't that the reciever is just showing the program at 4:3 but that the network records it at 4:3 then puts the sidebars in because the HD signal they broadcast is always 16:9. If the sidebars are there just watch it on the regular sd channel because you really don't get any better picture the other way.

That confirms some deductions, thanks. The local Fox station sometimes has SD with "Fox 31" in the righthand pillar, while the pillars are gray instead of black for the local CBS station, at least at times.

Nice, I guess, but it sure defeats SD-stretch features! In my case (TV, cable, etc.) the "SD in HD" channel is sharper than the corresponding analog channel, probably because it's end-to-end digital.

Doug

shawnstell

11-21-06, 01:19 PM

Ok, I was away from my TV for 2 weeks and now I have these 2 horizontal lines on the left side of my screen. They only go halfway up the screen. I thought the lines were burn in from my wife watching SD on the HD channels so I ran the white wash for the first time in 3 months and the lines are still there. Now the lines are only noticeable when the screen's off. I have the power on set to fast, so I was going to unplug the tv completely for a few hours and see if that helps. Has anybody else noticed this? I'll try to take some pics later, but I'm really not happy, even though I don't notice a thing wrong while the screen's on. Help!

Thanks
Shawn :(

cassie

11-22-06, 12:04 AM

First of all Frank, thank you SO much for your step by step troubleshooting of this problem. We just received the HP PL4260N today and had I not read all about this problem on here my husband and I would have probably sent the TV back because we had no audio through our DVR box.

But because I had read on here to know this was a known issue I was very persistent that HP deal with this as such, not an isolated issue.

I'm not sure where the rest of you bought these TVS but I got mine directly through hp shopping and after telling them through a few emails that this was a known issue they are sending somebody to my house to apply the firmware update. Hopefull that will fix it. I'll let you all know. But in the meantime we have had sound through the component cables like you suggested and we didn't see any difference in the HD picture when it was hooked up that way.

I have a few questions though for anyone that would know. I'm really new to all this. We usually keep non HD channels on 16:9 because my husband says it's not worth paying what we paid for the TV if we don't have a bigger picture. We had a 32" regular CRT before. I myself prefer the 4:3 smaller size with better quality. It's still bigger than the 32" was, but of course it doesn't come close to filling the whole screen with the black bars on both sides of the screen. Of course some of the HD channels have the full picture in the best quality, best of both worlds. The question is are there going to be more channels like those in the future? Even the NBC channel that is supposedly HD channel has the black bars on the sides. I'm not impressed by that. I guess after seeing the AMAZING HDTV video on some channels on the fullscreen I want them all like that. :D

Also I have a few widescreen DVDs and since this is a widescreen TV I expected it to show the widescreen dvd video in the full amount of the screen. But it still blacks out the top and bottom of it. Is that normal? Or do we need to change some setting for DVD? Actually we never got the DVD player past black and white and we gave up for today. So I know we haven't done that quite right yet. I was just curious if anyone knew if widescreen on this TV still cut off some of the screen.

Again thanks to Frank for the tips on the audio trouble!!

Ahhh...
I love my new 42 HP Plasma... Great PQ.. but a pain in the rump to get it to talk nice to my Motorola cable box. I have some good news.....
If you have a Motorola DCT64XX series or a DCT 34XX series dual tuner, High Def cable box (mine was issued from Comacast) I can help you if you are having audio and video problems.. Read on....
Best of Luck to all..
-Frank

Doug_Eldred

11-22-06, 10:08 AM

It's sort of like color when that was introduced several decades ago - first a few programs had it, then most network programming had it, and eventually almost all programming had it. There's also a law requiring digital (but not necessarily HD) TV starting in a year or so. So, over time more and more TV will be HD, but reruns of SD shows will probably always be SD, and shows by non-major producers may be too, at least for a while.

At least while the TV is fairly new it's good to NOT have the black bars a lot, since that can cause "burn in" where the screen ages unevenly.

DVDs often have movie theatre-like 2.35:1 images, instead of 1.78:1 (16:9) like HDTV. The same DVD on your old 4:3 set had bars above and below, but they were a bigger percentage of the screen, since a 4:3 screen has a 1.33:1 ratio.

Doug

Doug_Eldred

11-22-06, 10:32 AM

That said, you should verify that your DVD player knows your TV is 16:9. If you can, set it to output "progressive" video also. Obviously different DVD players are different, but my Sony has settings for 4:3 versus 16:9, and for progressive versus interlaced.

Doug

cassie

11-22-06, 11:15 AM

Thanks so much for the tips Doug!! I will definitely have my husband check that out today when he hooks up the DVD player. He gave up last night after he hooked it up and it was only showing black and white. So he'll try again today. Lots to this thing, but I can see it's definitely worth it!!!

Doug_Eldred

11-22-06, 11:29 AM

Offhand I can't imagine why it would be B&W. First thing I'd check is that you have the cables right! (At both ends.)

Doug

cassie

11-22-06, 05:46 PM

Offhand I can't imagine why it would be B&W. First thing I'd check is that you have the cables right! (At both ends.)

Doug

Apparantly it doesn't need the s video cable. Looks awesome now. I'm quite happy with this TV.

Doug_Eldred

11-22-06, 06:05 PM

Great! Without knowing your setup I'd assume that you should be using either component cables, or an HDMI cable, from the DVD player to the TV. S-video would give much poorer image quality, though I'd not have expected B&W!

Glad it's working and that you're happy! I'm sure you'll enjoy your new TV over the next few days, and for a long time thereafter.

Doug

acidzerocool

11-26-06, 07:58 PM

Jorakal

11-27-06, 09:21 AM

I'm using a Motorola 6416 (same as 6412 with bigger hard drive) over component cables. For some reason when watching standard def programming at any res over 480i I see pixels around edges and sometimes dark areas in the background will sort of interlace or flash. The picture looks great at 480i but I have been having the distortion issue. After about 20 min or so at 480i the screen starts to distort and get horizontal lines. If you change the res or input it goes away. Just wondered if anyone has found a fix for this or a way to improve my pq at the higher resolutions.

I have not had this problem. I wonder if you have your Motorola STB is set to a fixed res, or does it flip back and forth between different resolutions?

My input comes from a Scientific Atlanta 8300HD DVR (Time Warner Cable) and from a Philips progressive DVD player. The SA STB, connected with an HDMI cable, lets me choose how I want to output the pic. It will output 480i, 480i widescreen, 480p, 480p widescreen, 720p, and 1080i. The default was 1080i fixed (all the time). It allows me to choose from several settings to make one particular ratio fixed, or to upconvert to 1 or 2 ratios or to let HDMI choose. I have played around with most of them. So far it is best to always make it output 720p or 1080i. My SD stations look best at either one of these. I am leaning towards 1080i fixed, but it is cool to see the set switch to 720p for those stations that output it.

My DVD only outputs 480p since it is not upconverting, but it works great. I use component cables for this connection.

My suggestion is if possible to set your source to fixed output 720p or 1080i. 480i looks really bad at it's native setting on my TV. The upconvert to 720p or 1080i looks really good.

So again try setting your box to only output one format and see if that works. Perhaps the issue is the changing res?

Jorakal

11-27-06, 09:42 AM

OK I keep on trying to calibrate my PL4260n and can't seem to get it right??

The tv looks great but when watching a dvd it has a red tint to it.

TV is run using the HDMI and my sony platnium dream system DAV LF1 is running via component?

What settings should I use or should I just buy a calibration disk?

THanks in advance

This TV retains settings for each input source separately. Are you changing to the DVD's input source, then changing the settings? I had that problem when I first got my TV. I had changed the settings while using my DVD's components source. When I changed to the HDMI source from my STB, it looked wrong. I had to change the settings again for that source and they looked great.

Doug_Eldred

11-27-06, 10:18 AM

You might want to verify that all of the component cables are tight at both the TV end and the Sony end. You could also try rotating the cables to see if one is causing the red tint.

acidzerocool

11-27-06, 01:43 PM

OK thank you. I hope its not my wires becasue they are running through the wall and will be a pain just to change 1 set of wires seeing it is my longest run too :(

j_nolesfan

11-27-06, 01:47 PM

Sadly it happened again and the whitewash didn't get rid of my pinkish anomoly. I finally have pitures. Mind you, these pinkish areas "flicker" and creates a more noticeable anomoly then these staic images. but these images may provide a better picture of what I am talking about (pardon the expression).

If I raise the brightness past "60" it seems to dampen the problem. Again, this only happens in white/grey areas, like ice our clouds.

I feel as though it is most likely a warranty issue ... but thought I'd ask. Thoughts?

Thanks,

Jeff

Enlil,

Something like what you describe was an issue for me for quite some time. My best description would be that the panel seemed to lack enough colors to show shade transitions properly. This was most evident in scenes where there were large areas that were close to the same color but had minute differences. Obviously, dark scenes and big blue skies are the first thing that come to mind. I've noticed the "pink" that you mentioned. It's basically the same scenario as my blue sky or dark areas description. On a large sunset picture, I could count arched rings around the sun as each shade abruptly changed to another shade.

I've adjusted my pic settings three times where any considerable effort was given. The first was shortly after purchase, of course. The second was somewhere after the 100 hour mark. You might call it break-in. I can tell you for sure that the picture "tendancies" (toward red, etc.) were different after the first 100 hours than they were when the panel was new. I've recently readjusted my color settings a third time. I didn't use a calibration tool of any kind this time. In the past, I used HDNet's test pattern via DVR recording for the SAT (HDMI) picture settings and a THX optimizer for the DVD over component.

I've adjusted some other family members' TVs for them in the past weeks and I like to think that it's helped train my eyes a bit as to what looks natural and what doesn't. That being said, during my last round of adjustments to my HP, I trusted my eyes on a few different sources (DVR recordings, etc.) instead of using a specific image to tune by. The first thing I did was flip through the preset image settings to get an idea of the range of expectations that HP has for the panel. Cinema is too dark, vivid is too bright and harsh, etc. I decided to use vivid as a baseline and make my adjustments from there. I swear to you, the issue we're talking about here is all but gone. :D

I can't interrupt my wife who's watching TV right now, but later today, I'll see if I can sneak a peek at the settings and drop them in here for you. I can tell you that each time I've adjusted the settings, I've liked the TV a little more than before. I used to sit there and say, "hmm, I wouldn't want to let a friend see that because it makes my TV look bad". Take SD OTA for example, my local news was marred by harsh whites and "clay faces". Now, I feel like I could put my 32" JVC picture tube right next to it and it would hold its own on SD content and I never thought I'd say that. If I had to name one thing that I thought resolved this issue, I would have to say that it's related to the saturation the most but it's really a combination of saturation, brightness, and sharpness in that order. I have also pushed the hue towards green to correct what I perceive as a bit of a red push. I've never been able to bring the image back to a natural look if I apply a color temp setting.

What I'd like to know is if anyone has sprung for an upconverting DVD player and if so, have you compared it to a standard progressive scan player to see if it's an improvement. I plan to upconvert over component. There are a few players out there that will do at least 720P. I don't want to jump into the format war at this point. Plus, I still have a large DVD collection that would benefit more from a better SD player than an HD player could do for me on SD or HD media.

Regards,
Jeff

Doug_Eldred

11-27-06, 01:47 PM

OK thank you. I hope its not my wires becasue they are running through the wall and will be a pain just to change 1 set of wires seeing it is my longest run too :(

Are they quality cables, or "the cheapest I could find"? :)

How long a run IS it?

Doug

Doug_Eldred

11-27-06, 01:58 PM

Enlil,

What I'd like to know is if anyone has sprung for an upconverting DVD player and if so, have you compared it to a standard progressive scan player to see if it's an improvement. I plan to upconvert over component. There are a few players out there that will do at least 720P. I don't want to jump into the format war at this point. Plus, I still have a large DVD collection that would benefit more from a better SD player than an HD player could do for me on SD or HD media.

Regards,
Jeff

FWIW, I have not seen the problem being discussed, either on Comcast cable or on my DVDs. Skies on Discovery HD Theatre look fine to me. I don't watch much hockey, but I've seen no pink ice. Etc.

I originally had a Sony DVD/VCR combo, bought a few years ago with the HDTV in mind. It's progressive, but not up-converting. The weekend before last I took advantage of a CC special price on the Sony NS75H up-converting DVD player. In informal testing, probably nowhere near as rigorous or detailed as what you've done, my impression is that my Mac Mini had slightly better PQ as a DVD player than the Sony DVD/VCR combo, and that the Sony NS75H is the best of all three. Currently I'm up-converting to 1080i, but may try 720p also. To me they looked about the same, again just visually, but in theory progressive might be a plus, while two up-converts (480 to 720p, 720p to 768) might arguably be worse than an up-convert to 1080i and a down-convert to 768.

I haven't tried either flavor of hi-def DVD so can't comment on comparisons, but what I get is pretty darned good. From any of them.

I've used the $30 calibration DVD hawked here, and I've also ordered one from Amazon that's discussed on the calibration forum here. I don't plan to get the Avid one also; two should be enough!

Doug

enlil242

11-27-06, 04:52 PM

Enlil,

Something like what you describe was an issue for me for quite some time. My best description would be that the panel seemed to lack enough colors to show shade transitions properly. This was most evident in scenes where there were large areas that were close to the same color but had minute differences. Obviously, dark scenes and big blue skies are the first thing that come to mind. I've noticed the "pink" that you mentioned. It's basically the same scenario as my blue sky or dark areas description. On a large sunset picture, I could count arched rings around the sun as each shade abruptly changed to another shade.

I've adjusted my pic settings three times where any considerable effort was given. The first was shortly after purchase, of course. The second was somewhere after the 100 hour mark. You might call it break-in. I can tell you for sure that the picture "tendancies" (toward red, etc.) were different after the first 100 hours than they were when the panel was new. I've recently readjusted my color settings a third time. I didn't use a calibration tool of any kind this time. In the past, I used HDNet's test pattern via DVR recording for the SAT (HDMI) picture settings and a THX optimizer for the DVD over component.

I've adjusted some other family members' TVs for them in the past weeks and I like to think that it's helped train my eyes a bit as to what looks natural and what doesn't. That being said, during my last round of adjustments to my HP, I trusted my eyes on a few different sources (DVR recordings, etc.) instead of using a specific image to tune by. The first thing I did was flip through the preset image settings to get an idea of the range of expectations that HP has for the panel. Cinema is too dark, vivid is too bright and harsh, etc. I decided to use vivid as a baseline and make my adjustments from there. I swear to you, the issue we're talking about here is all but gone. :D

I can't interrupt my wife who's watching TV right now, but later today, I'll see if I can sneak a peek at the settings and drop them in here for you. I can tell you that each time I've adjusted the settings, I've liked the TV a little more than before. I used to sit there and say, "hmm, I wouldn't want to let a friend see that because it makes my TV look bad". Take SD OTA for example, my local news was marred by harsh whites and "clay faces". Now, I feel like I could put my 32" JVC picture tube right next to it and it would hold its own on SD content and I never thought I'd say that. If I had to name one thing that I thought resolved this issue, I would have to say that it's related to the saturation the most but it's really a combination of saturation, brightness, and sharpness in that order. I have also pushed the hue towards green to correct what I perceive as a bit of a red push. I've never been able to bring the image back to a natural look if I apply a color temp setting.

What I'd like to know is if anyone has sprung for an upconverting DVD player and if so, have you compared it to a standard progressive scan player to see if it's an improvement. I plan to upconvert over component. There are a few players out there that will do at least 720P. I don't want to jump into the format war at this point. Plus, I still have a large DVD collection that would benefit more from a better SD player than an HD player could do for me on SD or HD media.

Regards,
Jeff

Thanks for the information. I may have been able to get a little breakthrough with this with the saturation level, although I'd like to see what your settings are. Mine are pretty on par with alot of others have. Also, I have experienced this on both Component channels and HDMI.

Jeff, when you saw this on your set, did it flicker? This is where I am wondering if it is the same as what you experienced. From what you describe, it almost sounds like color banding. My issue is not that, which I do see on occasion. On my set, it looks so unnatural and it's never consistent. And, I have noticed that sometimes when I see this, I can see in it traces of a picture from what I was viewing earlier. Very weird image retention. Eventually it goes away, but it is very odd. I am hoping it isn't the onset of burn-in. I use an Xbox 360 on my TV, but not for hours on end. And if I play for a couple of hours, it is usually an assortment of different games. I’m pretty careful.

My brightness and contrast levels are just below 50. Also, as I noted above, I think I may have solved this from happening, hopefully, by lowering the saturation down to 47. Not sure if it will keep this from happening. But we'll see. I'll give an update once I am certain.

I still have 7 months on my warranty, and another 12 months for using my AMEX Gold Card, so, I am not worried yet. :)
Hopefully the Saturation setting change helps this. But I am still confused as to how this happened. I may have been soon after I hooked up my Media Center PC and Xbox. ???

By the way, I did spring for an Upconverting (Upscaling) DVD Player and got the Sony from Costco with the HDMI. My main reason was to free up one component inputs for the Xbox 360, but have noticed an improvement in picture. Although, it may be just my eyes, but DVD pixilation has vanished since...

Doug_Eldred

11-27-06, 05:16 PM

acidzerocool

11-27-06, 06:21 PM

Can we have a little mini discussion on what people are setting there "settings" too :)

IE brightness saturation, hue, temp etc.

Thanks in advance guys

enlil242

11-27-06, 08:17 PM

In some of the hockey pictures, there's a very obvious "EA" logo showing through, so I'm wondering if some of the problems aren't related to burn in or image retention. I'm not sure why that would cause flickering, unless the effect occurs on some pixels and not on others immediately adjacent, and camera motion causes "ripples".

Do you see the pink anomalies at fixed locations on the screen? Most of the pictures weren't full screen, so it's hard to relate the red arrows on the various pictures to each other. Burn in or image retention would probably affect fixed areas, not random ones.

EDIT: Some of the pictures had what I'll describe as fan-shaped moire patterns, too, and somehow I woudn't be surprised if that caused color fluctuations. I couldn't tell if they were from the hockey game, the previous EA computer game, or what. To be honest, I could only find pink areas near a few of the arrow heads, though I'm sure it was more obvious on-screen than in a photo. What are you using (for hockey and/or games) - 720p? 1080i?

Doug

I appreciate your response. Those pictures I posted are so much smaller than the originals as I had to scale them down from a rather large resolution to post them, so the detail had been greatly dimished.

By the way, I checked it out, turned on an HD hockey game and have noticed it still.

However, I turned this game on a while ago, and over time, the effects seem to have gone away on its own. I am getting to the point where I think it has a bit to do with image retention and it seems the pixels have to be stimulated or something for a while.

:confused: Man, this is so hard to explain in words, that I almost think I should just call HP support and see what they say. I appreciate everyone's input. It will take me a while, I am sure, to get up to calling them, and then to see what they have to say.

Once I do, I'll post a follow-up.

En

POSTSCRIPT: I just want to add, that when I noticed this tonight, I activated the OSD to check the settings, and the anomoly disappeared, then came back when the menu was closed. And after a few hours of watching, everything is hunky dory...