Based on what I've said, does anyone have any thoughts to help me choose? Help this indecisive shopper make a choice already, won't you? :)

thanks!

-leighSounds like from your own comparison you could eliminate the 880 from the competition. Poor ergonomics, high cost. Can the rechargable battery be replaced or do you have to send it back to the factory (ipod syndrome)? You might need to move that from the pro category to the con.

Good point about the batteries. I forgot the 880 has rechargeable. As to my 550, I've been using the AAA's that came with it for over 2 months. When those wear out I'll use my AAA rechargeables.

It might help if you gave more detail about your equipment and settings. And does the picture look dull on all channels and inputs, resolutions, etc?

Well I was configuring it while watching the Illinois basketball game in hi-def. I figured that was a great channel to configure on because the orange of the jerseys was a great way to make sure I have them set right. I just was unable to get the orange to really pop like it does on my Sony XBR. It just seemed very dull, I managed to get the orange to look real good but then the picture was grainy. Just haven't been able to get the 'perfect' configuration yet...

Good point about the batteries. I forgot the 880 has rechargeable. As to my 550, I've been using the AAA's that came with it for over 2 months. When those wear out I'll use my AAA rechargeables.


The 880's rechargable battery is replacable - I've had an 880 for about 9 months now without any issues - the battery lasts at least a week or two - if not longer.

I'm still on the batteries that came with my 550, circa September. It's not heavily used, and I don't force the backlight to be on more than necessary.

As to other models, I have no first-hand experience. I'm not wowed by the curvy shapes of the others, and I won't pay 1/4 to 1/3 as much for a remote as the TV cost!

FWIW, my Harmony 550 handles my PL4260N just fine. Plus a Sony NS75H DVD player, a Sony DVD/VCR combo, a Pioneer A/V receiver (and earlier a Logitech Z-5450), and my Comcast/Motorola STB/DVR. It doesn't seem to work with my Mac Mini, though others claim success and I haven't tried a bunch of stuff yet.

DougDoug,

Did you have to set any special delays for on/off toggle or input controls? I just spent an hour with the Harmony help desk and all they could do was get my TV to turn off. While it was on no other controls would work. When the Harmony turned it off it wouldn't turn back on again. I even tried to download the PL4260N commands with the same results. Something odd here.

I know this is the wrong forum for this question, but I feel like I know you guys already so I wanted to ask here. :)

I'm going to trust the overwhelming positive reviews on the Harmony remotes and get one to help control my HT setup. Now I just have to decide which one. I've read through many of the threads on AVS as well as on Remote Central (http://www.remotecentral.com/cgi-bin/mboard/rc-harmony/thread.cgi?4251), but I'm still torn between the 550, 670, and 880. Here are the pro's and con's I see for each:

-....snip....-



I have two Harmony 880s, and I like them a lot; quite a lot. The flush-mount buttons take some getting used to, and annoy me a bit, but there are a lot of buttons on this remote. The screen is nice; I like the rechargeability and the recharger base.

If you are looking at the 670, it and the 880 are only separated by about $60 or less right now. You might end up looking at the 880 as 'worth it' given that smaller difference than in the past. I just bought one from http://www.compuplus.com for $145 (their 670 is 91 right now).

Good luck!
- Joe

I have a PL5060 on order that hasn't been delivered yet. I have looked at them in several different Best Buy stores and have noticed that the colour on the HP is not as saturated / vivid as other makes of plasma tvs. I have also noticed an overall green tint to the picture (images with blue sky or water tend to look grey compared to other tvs). However I am impressed with the overall image sharpness and flesh tones.

Has anybody noticed this with their unit? How does the display look in a room with a lot of ambient light from windows? I am thinking of cancelling the order and maybe waiting for the 5072 to come out. I would appreciate any coments.

My Comcast Moto box only has the DVI connection so using the HDMI from the HP to the DVI to the Moto gets me video but how do I get audio?

I'm having the firmware updated this Friday but it looks like using this box it may be a useless upgrade..

What are SDIF and optical SDIF connections in the back of the Moto box????

Digidude, re: Harmony and PL4260n.....

I'm using a 550 right now and the HP TV presents some challenge. By default in the quick setups through the harmony it wants to change your 'source' right after turning the TV on. The TV isn't ready to take commands while initializing, so it tends to miss out on the 'source' command from the Harmony. As a result, I added a short delay and another 'source' command at the end of the default group of commands.

Not sure if that made any sense, but generally the command list for "Watch Tivo" looks something like: (may not be exact order)

Turn On TV
Set TV Source to Component 1
Turn on Tivo
Turn on AV
Set AV Source to AV 1
*delay 10 seconds
*Set TV Source to Component 1

The * commands I added. I haven't played around much, so I don't know what else I can do. What I'd like to do is be able to just re-order the commands the Harmony wizard sets up, as even that may add enough delay for the TV. Who knows...

Anyway, it works... I use it for my old Onkyo AV, DirecTivo, RCA DVD/VCR, and HP TV. I rarely have to take out one of the other remotes to do anything... Wife approves of it as well. Most of the time she doesn't get too frustrated with it... ;)

My Comcast Moto box only has the DVI connection so using the HDMI from the HP to the DVI to the Moto gets me video but how do I get audio?

I'm having the firmware updated this Friday but it looks like using this box it may be a useless upgrade..

What are SDIF and optical SDIF connections in the back of the Moto box????

For sound you'll need to run a Red/White RCA cable that converts to a head phone jack plug. It shouldn't be hard to find one of them.

SDIF connections on the Moto should be connected to an audio receiver that does Dolby Digital sound. If you don't have a external amplifier for surround sound, you won't need the SDIF connections.

I just received this TV yesterday, I went through the pages of this thread to find the best settings for picture "user settings" and tried them all. Unfortunately I found them all to still be dull, and have not been able to get a great picture on my own. Does anyone think they have the perfect "user settings" that I could try out?I used the ISF calibration disc yesterday to set up my DVD player on Component 1 input. After playing with it for quite awhile I got: Brightness 55, Contrast 60, Saturation 53, Hue 0, Sharpness 40. Understanding that these are really only good for my Panasonic DVD player and that particular input I went ahead and tried them on my HDMI input where I have my cable STB (Moto 3416 DVR). I was surprised to see that these settings worked well (for me). In general I find the Movie setting way too dark and soft. The Vivid setting is surreal to psychedelic. The Standard setting is pretty good but I really prefer my own now. Anyway, try these as a starting point and look for other clues before making additional adjustments. By that I mean watch L&O in HD and when you see a judge's black robe look for detail (Batman's cape or breast plate is good for this too). If you can't see any folds in the robe raise your brightness just until you do. Look at your local newscasters white shirt. If it glows like a flourescent light reduce your contrast until it doesn't. Color is just a personal kind of thing. My wife likes vibrant color- day glow stuff. I hate that and prefer natural looking colors. Don't try to adjust your color during any CSI! Miami has a bright amber tint. New York has a greenish tint. You might want to fine tune color during a live daytime sporting event. As for sharpness...the lower the better. Lower it until everthing looks fuzzy (like the Movie setting) and then raise it just until it doesn't. If you see stripes dancing on peoples shirts it is too high. Remember...the settings are really your personal preference and little more.

Digidude, re: Harmony and PL4260n.....

I'm using a 550 right now and the HP TV presents some challenge. By default in the quick setups through the harmony it wants to change your 'source' right after turning the TV on. The TV isn't ready to take commands while initializing, so it tends to miss out on the 'source' command from the Harmony. As a result, I added a short delay and another 'source' command at the end of the default group of commands.

Not sure if that made any sense, but generally the command list for "Watch Tivo" looks something like: (may not be exact order)

Turn On TV
Set TV Source to Component 1
Turn on Tivo
Turn on AV
Set AV Source to AV 1
*delay 10 seconds
*Set TV Source to Component 1

The * commands I added. I haven't played around much, so I don't know what else I can do. What I'd like to do is be able to just re-order the commands the Harmony wizard sets up, as even that may add enough delay for the TV. Who knows...

Anyway, it works... I use it for my old Onkyo AV, DirecTivo, RCA DVD/VCR, and HP TV. I rarely have to take out one of the other remotes to do anything... Wife approves of it as well. Most of the time she doesn't get too frustrated with it... ;)Yeah, this makes sense which is why I was asking about delays. Both my TV and Harmony are new so I need to figure out how to add commands. Are you using the software that comes with the Harmony or their members web site to set up your remote? I get the feeling from the Harmony help desk that they don't have a lot of experience with the HP TVs yet. I have the impression that my device download for the PL5060 is actually some other subscriber's configuration. I'll hit some commands and the command light will stay on for fifteen or twenty seconds.

On a similar topic...another poster indicated that Phillips command codes (for other universal remotes) work on this TV. I can say that is absolutely true for my new Motorola DCT-3416 DVR. I used the Phillips code (0054 I think) and all the functions line up....at least all that I have tried so far.

Deez
"For sound you'll need to run a Red/White RCA cable that converts to a head phone jack plug. It shouldn't be hard to find one of them."

Why the convert to a headphone jack"? Where would this be plugged into...wouldn't the RCA's be plugged both into the Moto and HP?

Doug,

Did you have to set any special delays for on/off toggle or input controls? I just spent an hour with the Harmony help desk and all they could do was get my TV to turn off. While it was on no other controls would work. When the Harmony turned it off it wouldn't turn back on again. I even tried to download the PL4260N commands with the same results. Something odd here.
I haven't done anything special with delays or repeats, though that has been suggested by someone for the Mac Mini problems I'm having. I haven't contacted Harmony support either on the Mini.

However, I realized last night that I might be overstating my success a bit. I have my 550 programmed to control my TV, STB, AVR, DVD player, and DVD/VCR combo (for VCR only). HOWEVER, that implies that the only TV actions are on/off and source selection - volume affects the AVR, channel affects the STB, etc. However, I'm almost sure that I can hit the Devices button, select the TV, and do those items, even though there's no RF connected to the TV, the speakers were never attached, etc.

On occasion I've had to manually select the source, but only intermittently, not every time. I've thought it might be due to exactly where the remote was aimed and/or whether it was moving at the time, but maybe I'm seeing an intermittent delay issue instead.

Doug

However, I realized last night that I might be overstating my success a bit. I have my 550 programmed to control my TV, STB, AVR, DVD player, and DVD/VCR combo (for VCR only). HOWEVER, that implies that the only TV actions are on/off and source selection - volume affects the AVR, channel affects the STB, etc. However, I'm almost sure that I can hit the Devices button, select the TV, and do those items, even though there's no RF connected to the TV, the speakers were never attached, etc.

DougWell check it out if you get a chance. Like you, I'm using the 676 to control my cable STB, HT receiver, HD DVRs and a DVD player with no problems at all! But I use the HPs internal ATSC tuner for OTA broadcasts and can't even get the channel to change by directly inputing channel numbers on the Harmony keypad. I posted some of these compatibility issues with HP TVs on the AVS remote control forum with no response. Like I said, after talking to the Tier 1 help desk at Harmony and the non-response I get here- I have the feeling I'm blazing new trails with Harmony and HP.

Deez
"For sound you'll need to run a Red/White RCA cable that converts to a head phone jack plug. It shouldn't be hard to find one of them."

Why the convert to a headphone jack"? Where would this be plugged into...wouldn't the RCA's be plugged both into the Moto and HP?

For DVI input, the only thing given is a headphone jack type plug. That's what I had to use to connect my PC up to get sound. The jack is shared with HDMI/DVI and PC input, and it's not RCA. Only the Component, Composite, and S-Video have RCA inputs, and there is one set of RCA outputs.

Deezul

Like I said, after talking to the Tier 1 help desk at Harmony and the non-response I get here- I have the feeling I'm blazing new trails with Harmony and HP.

Digitude, if you happen to talk to Harmony support again about the HP sets, ask them if they have seen this document published by HP:

HP Plasma and LCD TVs - Discreet Universal Remote Control Codes (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00760655&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=1832457&lang=en)

It's the specific IR codes for HP and Plasma TVs. I don't think it will do much good for the end user, but it would likely be just the information needed to do the remote control programming from Harmony's end. Who knows though, maybe there is a Harmony hacker out there who can use this info to get the best codes uploaded to the online database...

-leigh

Well check it out if you get a chance. Like you, I'm using the 676 to control my cable STB, HT receiver, HD DVRs and a DVD player with no problems at all! But I use the HPs internal ATSC tuner for OTA broadcasts and can't even get the channel to change by directly inputing channel numbers on the Harmony keypad. I posted some of these compatibility issues with HP TVs on the AVS remote control forum with no response. Like I said, after talking to the Tier 1 help desk at Harmony and the non-response I get here- I have the feeling I'm blazing new trails with Harmony and HP.

You are not blazing new trails with Harmony, but I'm not sure what is up with your 676. I went through al my 550 buttons for all my devices in device mode last night. All functions of the original remotes are there and work. Additional features buttons are there that the original remotes do not have, and they work fine too. I use:

HP PL4260N TV
Scientific Atlantic 8300HD DVR cable box
Panasonic 5.1 dolby digital/dts receiver
Philips progressive dvd player
SV2000 WV10D6 dvd recorder (made by Funai)

My TV buttons all work from the 550 for my HP PL4260N. It has 3 power buttons: pwron, pwroff, pwrtoggle. They all work as you think. pwron only turns it on and does nothing if the TV is already on. pwroff likewise for off. pwrtoggle will toggle it no matter if on or off. I tested each button in device mode to ensure it could do exactly what my Hp remote can do and it does. Of course it does more than that since with tuning directly to each input mode, and direct power. My channel buttons work fine. I can tune to any channel directly. I did not put in the character for the dash yet to get the second part of an hd channel because I don't use it. I'll look at that again tonight though. I'll also double check to see exactly which buttons I had to memorize. Frankly I can't remember if I had to memorize the numeric buttons or not.

One note is I use the fast power mode of standby. When I used the low power mode it took a long time to come up causing intermittent issues with HDMI timing. The harmony setup put in a really long delay originally which I reduced to a second. Also it had long delays after each button press so I reduced that too.

Digitude, if you happen to talk to Harmony support again about the HP sets, ask them if they have seen this document published by HP:

HP Plasma and LCD TVs - Discreet Universal Remote Control Codes (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00760655&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=1832457&lang=en)

It's the specific IR codes for HP and Plasma TVs. I don't think it will do much good for the end user, but it would likely be just the information needed to do the remote control programming from Harmony's end. Who knows though, maybe there is a Harmony hacker out there who can use this info to get the best codes uploaded to the online database...

-leigh

Thanks for the link. I'll have to check it out. Although my remote has all of the discreet functions I need now, and are working for my HP PL4260N.

So the back of the 4260 only has a headphone type jack for audio?

For DVI input, the only thing given is a headphone jack type plug. That's what I had to use to connect my PC up to get sound. The jack is shared with HDMI/DVI and PC input, and it's not RCA. Only the Component, Composite, and S-Video have RCA inputs, and there is one set of RCA outputs.

Deezul

Yeah a lot of tv's have that headphone style plug for the dvi sound input. This is of course only if you want to play the sound from the cable box or other device through your tv speakers. If you have a stereo receiver then of course plug in the sound using RCA or digital cable to the receiver. :)

So the back of the 4260 only has a headphone type jack for audio?

No. As Deezul said "The jack is shared with HDMI/DVI and PC input". The TV labels it as PC/DVI Audio In. As Deezul also said "Only the Component, Composite, and S-Video have RCA inputs, and there is one set of RCA outputs." So yes there are RCA inputs for Svideo 1 and 2, Video 1 and 2, and Component 1 and 2.

Here is a link to the Best Buy pic of the input jack panel: HP PL4260N input jack panel (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=cat13506&type=page&h=387&skuId=7731564&productId=1140392418573&viewtype=Alternate%20View%201&count=0)

Yeah, this makes sense which is why I was asking about delays. Both my TV and Harmony are new so I need to figure out how to add commands. Are you using the software that comes with the Harmony or their members web site to set up your remote? I get the feeling from the Harmony help desk that they don't have a lot of experience with the HP TVs yet. I have the impression that my device download for the PL5060 is actually some other subscriber's configuration. I'll hit some commands and the command light will stay on for fifteen or twenty seconds.

I wonder if you and grjohnso have upgrade to version 7.0.2 of the harmony remote software? You don't have to manually add those commands any more. There is a separate section for delays now. You click the device tab, then settings for TV, then select "Adjust the delays (speed settings)". My settings are this:

Power On Delay: 3000ms
Inter-key Delay: 0ms
Input Delay: 1000ms
Inter-device Delay: 1000ms

Now before I changed to fast power, the power on delay was autoset to 20000ms or something. Really long.

I used the ISF calibration disc yesterday to set up my DVD player on Component 1 input. After playing with it for quite awhile I got: Brightness 55, Contrast 60, Saturation 53, Hue 0, Sharpness 40.

Excellent. Thanks. My TV is past 100 hours now so going to start turning up the settings. I'll use this as a guide along with the THX setup. :)

I have a PL5060 on order that hasn't been delivered yet. I have looked at them in several different Best Buy stores and have noticed that the colour on the HP is not as saturated / vivid as other makes of plasma tvs. I have also noticed an overall green tint to the picture (images with blue sky or water tend to look grey compared to other tvs). However I am impressed with the overall image sharpness and flesh tones.

Has anybody noticed this with their unit? How does the display look in a room with a lot of ambient light from windows? I am thinking of cancelling the order and maybe waiting for the 5072 to come out. I would appreciate any coments.

You've got to remember that the stores are absolutely not the best place to see these sets. mainly for 3 reasons. The lighting most likely doesn't match the place you are going to put it, they do not fine tune the sets, and their source is usually not good having been split 100 times. Now Best Buy does have their magnolia rooms now that do a pretty good job making it look like your home. My HP was not back there. On the shelf it did not look great at all compared to the other sets. Once I got it home and set up correctly it was/is breathtaking. If I had purchased a set by how it looked at Best Buy, I would not have bought mine. I went from the opinions here on a/v forums and I'm glad I did. :)

I have two Harmony 880s, and I like them a lot; quite a lot. The flush-mount buttons take some getting used to, and annoy me a bit, but there are a lot of buttons on this remote. The screen is nice; I like the rechargeability and the recharger base.

If you are looking at the 670, it and the 880 are only separated by about $60 or less right now. You might end up looking at the 880 as 'worth it' given that smaller difference than in the past. I just bought one from http://www.compuplus.com for $145 (their 670 is 91 right now).

Good luck!
- Joe

Jorakal, Doug, Digitude, Joe-

Thanks for all your input on the Harmony remotes!

I actually went down to Circuit City at lunch yesterday to play with the demo models, and though they were non-working dummies I got a good "feel" for the ergonomics and buttons on each one. It turned out that I didn't really like the hard plastic buttons on the 670 (why not make larger buttons since they're spaced out further, anyway?) but other than that I still didn't come that much closer to deciding.

In the end, since all else was coming out about equal, I picked the Harmony 550 primarily because of price. Amazon.com has it for $85 with a $10 rebate, and they ship the same day, so with 2-day shipping I'll have it for just under $97. And then another ten bucks off with the rebate check comes in two months. :)

As of yesterday, Amazon actually had the Harmony 880 for $157 and then a $30 mail-in rebate, bringing the total to $127! Seems like the deal is gone now though, and Amazon is only shipping the 880 from one of their reseller stores. That actually made it a lot more appetizing... getting the 880 for only $24 more than the 670 seemed too good to pass up. But I held firm and decided the 550 will likely do the job for $50 less, and besides, do I really need a color screen on my remote control?

Looking forward to getting my new remote tomorrow--thanks again everyone!

-leigh

Digitude, if you happen to talk to Harmony support again about the HP sets, ask them if they have seen this document published by HP:

HP Plasma and LCD TVs - Discreet Universal Remote Control Codes (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00760655&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=1832457&lang=en)

It's the specific IR codes for HP and Plasma TVs. I don't think it will do much good for the end user, but it would likely be just the information needed to do the remote control programming from Harmony's end. Who knows though, maybe there is a Harmony hacker out there who can use this info to get the best codes uploaded to the online database...

-leighWow! That's great Leigh...thanks. The Harmony Tier 2 guy is supposed to contact me. I'll make sure they see it.

I wonder if you and grjohnso have upgrade to version 7.0.2 of the harmony remote software? You don't have to manually add those commands any more. There is a separate section for delays now. You click the device tab, then settings for TV, then select "Adjust the delays (speed settings)". My settings are this:

Power On Delay: 3000ms
Inter-key Delay: 0ms
Input Delay: 1000ms
Inter-device Delay: 1000ms

Now before I changed to fast power, the power on delay was autoset to 20000ms or something. Really long.Well that explains why the command LED light stays on sometimes for 15 or 20 seconds. 20,000 ms is 20 seconds! I just couldn't fathom why ANY command needed to send for 20 seconds. Actually I do now....the HP has a power save feature. In standby mode it is instant on. In powersave mode it takes a long time. The Harmony database must have the powersave feature programmed to delay any further commands until the set is fully powered up from scratch.

I do have the latest firmware and software. I've been using this remote for since Christmas with no problems whatsoever until I got a new HP plasma TV this week.

hi all,

One of the reasons I liked the HP plasma screens was because of the detachable speakers. I always use a surround sound receiver for audio, so I liked the option of removing the TV's speakers if I don't use them.


Now that I'm getting ready to mount my PL4260N plasma screen over the fireplace, I wondered if I could use its built-in speakers for my 5.1 surround sound center channel. My current center channel speaker (NHT SuperCenter) is big enough that it will look a little cumbersome sitting on the mantle between the fireplace and the screen, so using the HP's internal amp and speakers would probably look a lot nicer.


To test things out, I ran an RCA audio cable from the Center Channel Pre-Out on my receiver to the L/Mono RCA audio jack on the TV's Component1 input. I disconnected the current center channel speaker and ran the speaker tests from my receiver and it worked perfectly! I was happy to discover that the pre-outs on the receiver are variable, so when I turned down the volume on the receiver, the TV speakers decreased in volume as well. I had to turn up the TV volume to about 60 to get it to match up with the main left and right speakers, but it did work.


Now the only problem was getting audio for the other inputs, since the TV doesn't let you share an audio input across the different input sources. I swapped out the audio cable for another one that has a mono RCA on one end and stereo RCA on the other (actually, dual-mono for my purposes.) The cable now ran from the center channel pre-out on my receiver to L/Mono audio jacks on both the Component1 and Video1 inputs on the TV. That worked great as well, so I now have the TV speakers working as the center channel for both video inputs.


Next I just have to dig out my SPL meter to match up the levels between the new TV-powered center channel with the left and right speakers that are powered by the receiver (NHT SuperTwo's). The timbre of the new center channel doesn't match very well either, but I'm hoping I can use the custom EQ settings on the HP menu to get it sounding like a closer match.


Has anyone else set up their flat panel TV's speakers as a center channel? I'd love to hear any comments or suggestions to make things a little more streamlined. What about using the receiver's amp to power the HP speakers directly (perhaps with an inline attenuator to avoid overloading them)? Or is there any way to just connect to one audio jack on the TV and share it for all of input sources?


thanks,

leigh



p.s. I traded in my Comcast HD cable box for a HD-DVR (MotorolaDCT3412/2305) this morning, so I'll be setting that up tonight! My PL4260N came with firmware 1.3.1 from the factory, so hopefully I won't run into any trouble with the HDMI audio incompatibility from Comcast.

My whole center channel setup is likely going to get even more complicated with the introduction of an HDMI source, but I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out. I guess that means splitting the center channel output from the receiver again, and getting an RCA->1/8" adapter to use the DVI/PC input for center channel audio when using the HDMI input.

That sounds cool. I'm wondering though if you could not just use an RCA to speaker wires cable and go directly to the center channel speaker out from your receiver? So maybe an adapter to hook both RCA cables from the speakers to one RCA, then RCA to speaker wire to your center channel speaker out on receiver?

Now that I'm getting ready to mount my PL4260N plasma screen over the fireplace, I wondered if I could use its built-in speakers for my 5.1 surround sound center channel. I've often wondered why all TV manufacturers don't allow an internal setting for CENTER CHANNEL ONLY for their built in speakers. That would really relieve a lot of ergonomic problems with A/V stands, cabinets and other home theater furniture. I kinda like hearing voice dialog coming from the general direction of the person's face rather than from behind the TV or high up on a wall or somewhere.

That sounds cool. I'm wondering though if you could not just use an RCA to speaker wires cable and go directly to the center channel speaker out from your receiver? So maybe an adapter to hook both RCA cables from the speakers to one RCA, then RCA to speaker wire to your center channel speaker out on receiver?

Yeah, I thought about that too... if the speakers had regular wire connectors on instead of the RCA's, I probably would have done it already. :)

I'm just concerned about their power handling, because the TV specs says the audio output is 2x8W, while the center channel output from my receiver's amp is something like 100W. Also, I don't know what the impedance is on the built-in speakers, and I'm afraid that presenting an improper load to the amp could damage it permanently.

Also, I don't know what the impedance is on the built-in speakers, and I'm afraid that presenting an improper load to the amp could damage it permanently. They are 6 ohms. I wanted to use mine in another room so I looked it up.

Thanks for the reply. How does the picture look in a room full of daylight? I've only seen it in the dark recesses of Best Buy.

The 2007 model looks pretty good. Appears the have a better noise filter (3D instead of 2D) and has 3 HDMI inputs. Also the speakers are built-in. Haven't heard when its coming out, or the price yet

I bought a VGA cable for my Xbox 360 and hooked it up thru the PC input on the back of TV and the audio into the spot next to it that uses the headphone jack adapter ..I get nothing..Does anyone have any idea what is wrong??
Thanks

Thanks for the reply. How does the picture look in a room full of daylight? I've only seen it in the dark recesses of Best Buy.

The 2007 model looks pretty good. Appears the have a better noise filter (3D instead of 2D) and has 3 HDMI inputs. Also the speakers are built-in. Haven't heard when its coming out, or the price yet

My living room has 2 large windows in it and light coming in from another attached room with 2 windows, so it gets bright. My HP plasma looks brighter than my 36" tube tv I used to have.

Do you have a link for the new models? I could not find anything on HP's site. Also I'm not sure what is meant by a 2d filter. My HP data sheet shows: 3D Color Enrichment System. Not sure if that is what you mean or not. I can't see 2D anywhere.

EDIT: I found this http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/2007/ces/de.html I hope that isn't the final colors where it is going from black to silver? Silver yeck!
Another link: http://hdtv.engadget.com/2007/01/08/hps-2007-plasma-lineup/ 3 HDMI ports is awesome.

That's piano black (i.e. shiny), not silver, I think.

EDIT: I found this http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/2007/ces/de.html I hope that isn't the final colors where it is going from black to silver? Silver yeck!
Another link: http://hdtv.engadget.com/2007/01/08/hps-2007-plasma-lineup/

Actually, it looks to me like the photo is just showing a reflection from the glossy finish. The data sheet seems to confirm that they've gone back to the gloss:

Perfect for nearly any décor, the TV features a stylish
design with a classic piano-black glossy finish.

My speakers are piano black and they end up with a lot of dust and fingerprints. Don't think it's something I would want in a display, especially because of the reflections around the screen!

I have read other peoples comments about glossy black finishes on the Pioneer TVs, most of the comments were complaints about seeing annoying reflections.

Excellent. Thanks. My TV is past 100 hours now so going to start turning up the settings. I'll use this as a guide along with the THX setup. :)
Again, use these settings as a starting point. Don't make any initial rash judgments. Watch it for an evening and critique on various HD and SD channels and different types of programming (sporting events, game shows etc). Don't make adjustments based on your favorite program or any single program. Dramas like Cold Case files and Without a Trace use flashbacks that are intentionally colored bland and blurred. CSI Miami is oversaturated and tinted amber so it will give the impression of sun and warmth. If you concentrate you'll detect some of the things I talked about. Make small adjustments not wide swings. Brightness and Contrast interact and affect each other. Color and Hue do the same. Sometimes I'll watch my TV for several weeks before I notice a pattern that I find will usually track with every program I watch. Are the skin tones a little flush or jaundiced? Can I see the outline of lapels on a black jacket or is the whole garment a black hole? Am I seeing a gray tuxedo? There is no such thing as a gray tux. Stuff like that. Take your time and good luck!

Perhaps it is. It just looks like it begins with grey on the bottom left, moving up and around to the top ending up in a silver color.

And, of course, lighting matters. What looks fine in a dimly lit room might look different in a brightly lit room. The "calibration" DVDs can be useful. They're discussed extensively, possibly to death, in the Calibration forum. Some people go all the way and hire a professional calibrator, others achieve success on their own.

In the end, what matters most is that you (yourself, your family, friends who watch the TV a lot, whatever) are happy.

Doug

Well check it out if you get a chance. Like you, I'm using the 676 to control my cable STB, HT receiver, HD DVRs and a DVD player with no problems at all! But I use the HPs internal ATSC tuner for OTA broadcasts and can't even get the channel to change by directly inputing channel numbers on the Harmony keypad. I posted some of these compatibility issues with HP TVs on the AVS remote control forum with no response. Like I said, after talking to the Tier 1 help desk at Harmony and the non-response I get here- I have the feeling I'm blazing new trails with Harmony and HP.
I didn't try everything, but channel entry via the numeric keypad, channel up, channel down, volume up, and volume down all work fine. I've done no tweaking with delays or anything else, this is just using their "PL4260N" setup.

Just bought the 42 tonight...

My Motorola 6216 box of course does not work properly with it. HDMI picture shows up...but no sound. Looks like I need to get HP out here to upgrade it.

Is the picture suppose to be some damn grainy? It looks worse then my 30' Westinghouse LCD I have. What gives? Even my PS3 hooked up with HDMI looks bad....I MUST be doing something wrong. Any help?

PS3 only does 480p? WTF?

I have read other peoples comments about glossy black finishes on the Pioneer TVs, most of the comments were complaints about seeing annoying reflections.I kinda like the piano finish. Looks classy and expensive. I don't know what to think about HPs two tone finish. I guess it would look good in a sports bar. On the other hand half my HT components are silver (cable STB and HD recorder) and the other half are black (receiver, DVD player). So maybe it would fit right in. Kind of a take-it-or-leave-it look if you ask me.

I didn't try everything, but channel entry via the numeric keypad, channel up, channel down, volume up, and volume down all work fine. I've done no tweaking with delays or anything else, this is just using their "PL4260N" setup.I discovered a big problem in the setup. Harmony's power toggle had 26000ms delay. That's right, 26 seconds!! That was half my problem. I'd hit the ON key and after a few seconds get pissed off and walk away. I did try to download the PL4260N program but had the same results. It seems to be working half-assed now. With power finally on the number, and channel up/down keys work. I'm still having problems with the TV changing inputs in activities (it won't). I guess I'll eventually get to the bottom of this. Setting up all my other components was a breeze. Can't understand why the HP needs to be such a hassle!

Just bought the 42 tonight...

Is the picture suppose to be some damn grainy? It looks worse then my 30' Westinghouse LCD I have. What gives? Even my PS3 hooked up with HDMI looks bad....I MUST be doing something wrong. Any help?


I didn't find a 6216 on Motorola's site so couldn't tell what features it has. Maybe it is part of the 6200 series of HD cable boxes?

Is the cable box an HD cable box?
If so do you have your cable box set to only output 720p or 1080i?
Is the grainy picture on SD channels?
Do you have digital cable or analog cable?

More details please. :)

Just bought the 42 tonight...

My Motorola 6216 box of course does not work properly with it. HDMI picture shows up...but no sound. Looks like I need to get HP out here to upgrade it.

Is the picture suppose to be some damn grainy? It looks worse then my 30' Westinghouse LCD I have. What gives? Even my PS3 hooked up with HDMI looks bad....I MUST be doing something wrong. Any help?

PS3 only does 480p? WTF?
I just set up my new Moto DCT3412 HD DVR last night. At first I was surprised to see the HD picture via the HDMI input looking so horrible, but then I realized I had never changed the settings on that input so it had the default sharpness at 50. Dialing that down to 0 made everything look a lot better, so be sure to check that out!

I was also happy to find out that my PL4260N played the audio via HDMI from the Comcast box with no problem at all. My plasma came with firmware 1.3.5 [EDIT: corrected from 1.3.1] from the factory, so that might have something to do with it. There is definitely an issue with varying volume levels from different channels (HD vs. SD and live vs. recorded), but I think that's a common gripe with the Moto HD STB's. I guess I can crank up the audio normalization on the box, but I hate losing the dynamic range across the board.


As for the PS3 and only getting 480p resolution, that's a known issue with the system since it has no internal hardware scaler. I'm still on the PS2 myself so I can't speak from experience, but I've read that games can only output in 1080i if they are natively rendered in 1080p. 720p games will default down to 480p. And even then, there is a different setting for resolution for games and Blu-Ray. Check out this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=763633) right here on avsforum for more.

-leigh

The 880's rechargable battery is replacable - I've had an 880 for about 9 months now without any issues - the battery lasts at least a week or two - if not longer.Wow a whole 2 weeks :D my 550 lasted at least 6 months before I had to change the batteries.

Wow a whole 2 weeks :D my 550 lasted at least 6 months before I had to change the batteries.I often forget to put my cordless phone back on the charger- which is a minor annoyance. If the phone rings I'd walk into the kitchen and pick it up. I suspect this would become a MAJOR annoyance with a rechargable remote control. You come home tired from work, see it lying there dead and spend the rest of the evening trotting back and forth from the Lazy Boy to the TV. I have to wonder why anyone would want a rechargable remote.

I just set up my new Moto DCT3412 HD DVR last night. At first I was surprised to see the HD picture via the HDMI input looking so horrible, but then I realized I had never changed the settings on that input so it had the default sharpness at 50. Dialing that down to 0 made everything look a lot better, so be sure to check that out!

Good point. Same type thing happened to me before realizing the TV keeps different settings for each input. I had adjusted everything using a THX dvd from component1 input, and HDMI still looked bad. So made HDMI settings the same and it looked great.

I often forget to put my cordless phone back on the charger- which is a minor annoyance. If the phone rings I'd walk into the kitchen and pick it up. I suspect this would become a MAJOR annoyance with a rechargable remote control. You come home tired from work, see it lying there dead and spend the rest of the evening trotting back and forth from the Lazy Boy to the TV. I have to wonder why anyone would want a rechargable remote.

Just from personal experience, and since I have 2 rechargable Harmony 880s, this really isn't a problem. Maybe you have to socially reengineer yourself to use the remote, but the base station (that charges the remote) is actually a nice, sleek, low-profile cradle. I and my wife _always_ put it back on the charger, and that's just where it sits. I have left the thing off the charger for a long time (1 week plus) and picked it up and it's still charged and ready to go. So, maybe it's not as bad as you might think, as long as you just always put it where it needs to be. Incidentally, if you do this, you always know where your remote is! ;-)

... as long as you just always put it where it needs to be. Incidentally, if you do this, you always know where your remote is! ;-)Yeah, thats a problem....I'm old and have CRS (can't remember s**t). I'm getting ready to retire too. I can't afford one 880... nevermind two! :D

So, I got my PL5060N yesterday and it's all mounted and working. I like the display (although, and maybe this is just bias, the $3000 Panasonic 42" EDTV I bought 3 years ago matches or exceeds the contrast and color quality of the PL5060N..but, I digress), but I do have a problem. As I've read at least one other poster here mention, my unit has a loud buzz. With only the TV on, and little other ambient noise, it's a highly noticeable and annoying buzz coming out of the back of the screen.

I've tried to pinpoint where the sound is coming from, but it sounds equally loud out of the left and right back of the screen. It's loud enough that I can hear it from 20 feet away, and loud enough that if I'm watching something and the sound system is on a normal TV-watching-volume (you know..loud enough so you can hear the TV show sitting 12 feet away, not so loud that someone upstairs could hear the TV show) I can hear it above the show's sound. One interesting characteristic of the buzzing is that it changes in pitch depending on what's on the screen. As scenes change on the display (for instance, when the scene goes from dark to bright) the buzzing increases in intensity, then fluctuates depending on how bright the image is.

There's no way I can live with this, so the set is going back to HP once I call them and talk to support.

I wonder what HP is going to say when I call. Do you think they'll ask me things about my altitude (N. of Denver, 4900ft) as plasmas have been known to buzz at higher altitudes? Do you think they'll suggest something about power conditioning etc.? My Panasonic 42" is as quiet as can be, and it used to be hung on the wall just where the HP is now.

I am curiuos to hear anybody else's experience returning one of these sets. I bought it directly from HP (off their website), free shipping that was inside delivery. Will they have the shipper come and pick up the set? Will they cross-ship another PL5060N at the same time so I don't have to be without my new 50" TV? :-) Am I going to run into hassles?

Thanks for any input anyone has.
- Joe

I am curiuos to hear anybody else's experience returning one of these sets. I bought it directly from HP (off their website), free shipping that was inside delivery. Will they have the shipper come and pick up the set? Will they cross-ship another PL5060N at the same time so I don't have to be without my new 50" TV? :-) Am I going to run into hassles?

Thanks for any input anyone has.
- JoeHey Joe,

I just set up my PL5060N this week too. Not a hint of buzzing either but I'm at sea level. Got mine from their web site too. I think HP will probably send a tech rep to your house first to try and fix it if they can just replace a board or something. If not, they will probably replace the TV. The same delivery people will bring you another set and take yours back in that box after unpacking. My delivery person mentioned they were doing that a lot which didn't give me a warm and fuzzy about HP. We seem to have a lot in common. I upgraded from a Panny PWD6UY ED plasma too and I didn't see any light years improvement either. I do like the bigger panel though. And finally, and totally OT, my brother is moving to Ft Collins. Not sure why. What's up there anyway? You got any skiing or anything?

Hey Joe,

I just set up my PL5060N this week too. Not a hint of buzzing either but I'm at sea level. Got mine from their web site too. I think HP will probably send a tech rep to your house first to try and fix it if they can just replace a board or something. If not, they will probably replace the TV. The same delivery people will bring you another set and take yours back in that box after unpacking. My delivery person mentioned they were doing that a lot which didn't give me a warm and fuzzy about HP. We seem to have a lot in common. I upgraded from a Panny PWD6UY ED plasma too and I didn't see any light years improvement either. I do like the bigger panel though. And finally, and totally OT, my brother is moving to Ft Collins. Not sure why. What's up there anyway? You got any skiing or anything?

Ok..pretty much what I figured, thanks for the insight.

I have a PWD6UY, as a matter of fact, and I tell ya...that is one of the best displays I've _still_ ever seen. I just love it. It's upstairs now, and looks even better up there :-) I do like the larger panel, and I was impressed with the HP at BB in comparison to other screens. But it's hard to beat Panny. Incidentally, my wife works for HP in Fort Collins, and so we got a good deal on the HP plasma ($1600 off their site instead of $1700), so I can't complain about the price. But, if it doesn't work out, I'll go back to Panny.

Hmm..what's in Fort Collins? Well, there's Colorado State University, a few hi-tech outfits (such as HP and AMD etc.), Budweiser brewery and lots of microbreweries (New Belgium, O'Dells. Right next to the mountains on the front range of Colorado. Skiing is abundant, but at least an hour (generally 2) to the big places down the I-70 corridor. Lots of outdoorsy type stuff. Close to Denver, so you can take in a baseball or football game if you want. It's actually a pretty nice area. I hope your brother finds something unique and pleasing about our fair city!

- Joe

I have a PWD6UY, as a matter of fact, and I tell ya...that is one of the best displays I've _still_ ever seen. I just love it. It's upstairs now, and looks even better up there :-) I do like the larger panel, and I was impressed with the HP at BB in comparison to other screens. But it's hard to beat Panny.

Skyburn can you elaborate a little about what you are viewing that doesn't look as good as your ED set? Do you have HD going to the TV? Have you tried a DVD on it yet at 480p? Have you adjusted it yet in all input modes?

Skyburn can you elaborate a little about what you are viewing that doesn't look as good as your ED set? Do you have HD going to the TV? Have you tried a DVD on it yet at 480p? Have you adjusted it yet in all input modes?

So, I haven't had a ton of time to tweak, and it's unfair for me to proclaim that the 42" Panny ED is "better" because of that.

Here's what I'd say, (with the caveat that I don't have them both right in front of me showing the same thing):

- The contrast and color quality/clarity of the Panny ED is outstanding. I've been impressed over and over with how clear the display is, with rather few if any noticeable artifacts or quality problems in general.
- The HP, for the couple of hours I played with it last night looks very good. But, on a few occasions I'd notice a rather grainy appearance to the image, especially in the darker colors on the screen. I'd played a bit with making a "User" picture setting that is somewhat like the "Standard" picture setting except I decreased the brightness and increased the contrast. I played a very small amount with the hue and saturation settings. I was able to tweak (esp. the contrast increase) it enough to be satisfied with the picture quality.
- I noticed some "jerkyness" on the HP, for instance where the camera would pan quickly and the image moved across the screen. It's hard to describe, and it's not something that I'd encountered before on other displays. I certainly have not seen this on the ED Panny.

Answers to your specific questions:
- I'm only referring to HD content that I receive via Dish Network's HD channels. Specifically, I was looking at EQUATOR HD (one of the Voom channels) and then a couple of local sat-delivered Denver HD stations: ABC, CBS showing 720p or 1080i content; everything I was doing any comparison with was HD content.
- My setup is a Dish Network ViP 622 HD sat receiver, component output to a Yamaha RX-V1600, then HDMI output from the RX-V1600 to the HDMI input on the HP.
- The Dish ViP 622 is set to output 720p and the HP TV recognizes that signal as such (with the banner "720p 60Hz" at the top when selecting the HDMI input).
(Note, the reason I'm not doing HDMI from Dish to Yamaha is because I'm having a hard time getting it to work, so I'm relying on component for now.
- I also stuck Star Wars Episode 1 in last night (Pioneer progressive scan DVD player, Component vid to RX-V1600/HDMI from RX to HP as described above) and took a cursory look at some 480p from DVD. I wasn't impressed -- grainy, odd jerkyness as referred to above. I need to play with this a bit though, and figure out if I have some settings to tweak or if it's something else. Maybe I'm just being too picky....; also on the HP, the Star Wars DVD doesn't fill the screen (maybe I need to make some kind of adjustments for this with the HP TV) like it does on my ED Panny (or at least that's what I think it does..I'll have to stick that DVD in upstairs on the Panny and see if I'm just remembering incorrectly). There's some odd annoyance I have about this, and it's either worse in general on the HP, or I'm just not accustomed to a 50" screen yet.

Overall, I think I'll be happy with this screen. The price couldn't be beat, and that goes a long way to satisfaction. Assuming this buzz problem gets fixed adequately, I'll probably hang on to the screen. If not, I'll go back to Panasonic.
- Joe

Ok..pretty much what I figured, thanks for the insight.

I have a PWD6UY, as a matter of fact, and I tell ya...that is one of the best displays I've _still_ ever seen. I just love it. It's upstairs now, and looks even better up there :-)

- JoeYeah my Panny is in the master bedroom now too. I'd have bought another except I wanted the ATSC tuner. To get a Panny with a tuner you gotta take silver. GACK! The HP is pretty sweet though, especially the price. HP undercut the 50PHD9UK (or whatever the new model is) by $800 bucks or so. HP stands behind their stuff real well too. Hope everything works out with the swap or whatever you decide to do. I think my brother was going to open a B&B out there somewhere.

- I noticed some "jerkyness" on the HP, for instance where the camera would pan quickly and the image moved across the screen. It's hard to describe, and it's not something that I'd encountered before on other displays. I certainly have not seen this on the ED Panny.
- JoeDude. I'm glad you noticed that too! I thought I was seeing things. My Panny ED most certainly did not do that. Its not jerky like break dancing or anything. More of an unnatural motion when people walk or move. Kinda surreal like you see spirits move in the horror movies. Go back a couple pages and read one of my first posts on this TV. You want to know how I fixed it? Swtiched the output of all my input devices from 1080i to 720p. Try that and let me know.

Answers to your specific questions:

- My setup is a Dish Network ViP 622 HD sat receiver, component output to a Yamaha RX-V1600, then HDMI output from the RX-V1600 to the HDMI input on the HP.


I would definitely try going straight from your SAT box to the TV with component or HDMI. If you are going in to receiver with component, then HDMI out you are introducing an analog to digital conversion in the receiver itself. I'd love to see how it looks going straight to the TV with both component and HDMI.

Also try both 720 and 1080i. My TV looks just a little bit better with 1080i from my cable box.

Oh yeah one more thing... if at all possible focus on the Discovery channel. They have the best most consistent breathtaking picture. Next I'd say INHD, HDNET, HDMOV, or universal HD.

I would definitely try going straight from your SAT box to the TV with component or HDMI. If you are going in to receiver with component, then HDMI out you are introducing an analog to digital conversion in the receiver itself. I'd love to see how it looks going straight to the TV with both component and HDMI.

Also try both 720 and 1080i. My TV looks just a little bit better with 1080i from my cable box.

Oh yeah one more thing... if at all possible focus on the Discovery channel. They have the best most consistent breathtaking picture. Next I'd say INHD, HDNET, HDMOV, or universal HD.

Well, ok...no kidding. Sheesh, I need a reality check. I'm stupidly doing that conversion, and you're right. I'll hook up HDMI direct and check that out and compare. Everything I've tried is 720p output from the Dish box or 480p from DVD. I did do a couple of 720p vs. 1080i comparisons from the Dish box last night and frankly I didn't see much difference, but I'll scrutinize more a bit tonight.

Thanks!

And finally, and totally OT, my brother is moving to Ft Collins. Not sure why. What's up there anyway? You got any skiing or anything?
I'm sure Yahoo and Google searches will find lots of Fort Collins-related sites, but a couple that are FC-specific are www.fortcollins.com and www.fcgov.com. You might especially like "Why Fort Collins" in the upper right corner of http://www.fcgov.com/business/?home. Other parts of fcgov.com (the city's official website) list major employers, etc. (Their info is a little dated - Agilent isn't here any more, but Avago is.)

Doug

I didn't find a 6216 on Motorola's site so couldn't tell what features it has. Maybe it is part of the 6200 series of HD cable boxes?

Is the cable box an HD cable box?
If so do you have your cable box set to only output 720p or 1080i?
Is the grainy picture on SD channels?
Do you have digital cable or analog cable?

More details please. :)

Is the cable box an HD cable box? HD Box. Looked great on my 30 Westinghouse LCD
If so do you have your cable box set to only output 720p or 1080i? 1080i at the moment. I can only go through component since HDMI audio does not work :rolleyes:
Is the grainy picture on SD channels? Yes. Very. Even the HD channels look extremly grainy.
Do you have digital cable or analog cable? Digital?

It is the 6216 box...I got a new one 3-5 months ago when Adelphia merged with TW.

I turned down the Sharpness to 0...but still see alot of grain. I may wind up returning this tomorrow if I can't make the picture look atleast comparable to my $700 Westnghouse LCD. I can't believe all the positive reviews here.

Anyway to stretch SD TV to fill the entire screen? I do have the Motorola 6216 box. I was able to do this on my last TV...Kinda hoping I could do the same here.

I turned down the Sharpness to 0...but still see alot of grain. I may wind up returning this tomorrow if I can't make the picture look atleast comparable to my $700 Westnghouse LCD. I can't believe all the positive reviews here.

I don't know how to explain it. I normally sit 9 - 10 feet away. The only time I can see anything that might be described as grainy is if I get within 2 feet of it. I would say go through all of your cable box settings to ensure there isn't some kind of an overide to a lower signal happening. I can't find a 6216 on Motorola's site or searching the internet, but the 6200/6208 manual has:

TV type: set to 16:9
Y Pb Pr output: 1080i or 720p. In your case maybe switch to 720 to see if a difference?
4:3 override: off probably but could experiment

Anyway to stretch SD TV to fill the entire screen? I do have the Motorola 6216 box. I was able to do this on my last TV...Kinda hoping I could do the same here.

If the input signal is 480i, then change the aspect to 16:9 or panoramic. If the input is 720p or 1080i you can't stretch it using aspect. This would be an annoyance to me if my Scientific Atlanta cable box did not have this feature, since I set it to always output a 1080i signal. I would have to let SD channels come in at 480i or 480p, then use aspect to stretch them. I could not find a feature for the Motorola box like the Scientific Atlanta to stretch the picture using the cable box.

The 64xx models have a setup feature that allows stretching SD; you should probably call your cable provider to get the details for the 62xx models. Note that many times the cable provider or the station is sending SD in 16:9; one tipoff is that the local CBS station shows up with gray pillars instead of black. To get "true" SD (that's stretchable) on local stations I have to view the analog channel instead of the digital channel.

I have the same box as most have here...I just get the model #'s confused. Anyway, I found the setup menu (Turn the cable box off and hit the MENU key) and changed a few settings and made TV a bit better. I even lowered the sharpness at the suggestion of an above poster and it fixed alot of the grain. Still, for $1,300 this should look a little bit better. Oh well. I'll marinate over the purchase for another week.

I have the same box as most have here...I just get the model #'s confused. Anyway, I found the setup menu (Turn the cable box off and hit the MENU key) and changed a few settings and made TV a bit better. I even lowered the sharpness at the suggestion of an above poster and it fixed alot of the grain. Still, for $1,300 this should look a little bit better. Oh well. I'll marinate over the purchase for another week.

I found certain HD broadcasts to be a bit grainy until I turned the sharpness way down. I noticed it most often in shots with a lot of white like the AFC title game. The colts fans in white nearly drowned out the screen until I set the sharpness down to the 10-20 range. I used the HDnet calibration broadcast this week and it helped a lot to get the basics right.

Also, the upscaling capability of the Motorola 64xx boxes is lame. Get a good upscaling A/V receiver if you can afford one or a DVD player that can upscale out to an HDMI port such as the Samsung DVD-R135. I run all SD broadcasts out of the 6416 STB via S-video into the DVD-R135 and upscale them to 1080i and on to the TV via the HDMI port. I run component straight to the TV from the STB for the HD channels and have my Harmonay 880 manage it all. That way you get full screen for everything (except those HD broadcasts that contain 4:3 content. Why they don't upscale for you I'll never understand).

One question I have for those that have had their PD's for more then 100hrs. of operation, what setting are you running currently? Have you raised the settings significantly now that you are well best the break in period?

Thanks

Brightness
Contrast
Saturation
Hue
Sharpness
Color

Taking a cue from an earlier poster who did a settings avg (good work)

I captured all the settings data supplied by everyone who supplied them (ha) and broke it out to break-in and after break-in period. I would like to capture more after break-in period settings to get a more representative figures. Sampling for after break-in needs more data. Interesting though and seems to line up with the general group or forum tendencies..............

Avg. Settings for Break-In period
Brightness - 44
Contrast - 45
Saturation - 37
Hue - 0
Sharpness - 14
Color - More Cold or Std then Warm

Avg. Settings for after Break-In period
Brightness - 51
Contrast - 43
Saturation - 46
Hue - 0
Sharpness - 22
Color - More Std then Cold

I just replaced my 42" Panasonic PDP with the HP PL5060N. I reprogrammed my Harmony 676 remote for the new TV and initially nothing worked. Well...let's say everything else worked except the TV and any activity associated with the TV. After reaching Tier 2 at the Harmony help desk I was told the remote codes for my TV were different from all of the other HP plasmas in their database. When I asked why that was he told me sometimes manufacturers change mid-stream in their production cycle and that mine must be a newer model (mine is one week old and shipped directly from HP). Harmony seemed to be aware of this change and had the new codes. Anyway, I thought that was an interesting bit of information I'd pass along in case anyone else gets a universal remote and tries to use a code that doesn't work.

I decided I would edit this post and add the delays that work for my remote now. When I first set it up with my Panny plasma all of the default values worked. The default values did NOT work with the HP plasma. Here are the ones that work:

Power On delay- 3000ms
Interkey delay- 0ms
Input delay- 1000ms
Inter device delay- 1000ms

I'm using standby power mode. If one uses Powersave mode the power-on delay would need to be drastically increased as this TV takes forever to cold start. The inter-device delay would also increase the more equipment you have and the more IR commands you bombard it with. 1000ms works well with my five pieces of gear including the TV. I hope this helps someone to NOT go though the hassle I did with the Harmony help desk.

Cool. I'm glad those delay settings worked for you.

Had a big weekend with my 4260N! My new Harmony 550 remote control arrived on Friday, and on Sunday I finally got the courage to wall mount my display over the fireplace.


The Harmony gave me a lot of grief at first, as the initial required firmware update timed out and left me with a remote stuck in SAFE MODE. I couldn't get it to load the configuration, firmware or anything--it would just go anywhere from 10% to 60% of the process and then freeze. I figured there was a problem with the remote hardware, but eventually I tried it on my laptop and that worked fine. No idea why one machine had trouble, especially since I don't have any other USB issues on that machine (both are Windows XP with USB 1.0 ports.)

Once I got the Harmony up and running, I found it to work quite well. I really like not having to worry about what inputs are used on the receiver or TV when switching activities, and though it does take some tweaking to get everything the way you want it, I'm sure it will be worth the time spent.

One minor quibble I have with the HP controls on the Harmony--are there any discrete codes for the different aspect ratios? The Harmony wizard setup added an "Aspect" soft key on all of the activities, but pushing it only gets me the Aspect menu on the TV screen. I then have to switch to the TV device mode to change anything. As a workaround, I added custom keys for the TV remote's directional and Select buttons so I can control the Aspect once I get to that menu, but it seems like a waste of keys to use up for every Activity. Have any of you other Harmony users found a way to control the TV's Aspect ratio more easily?


Next up I finally got the chance to set up the tilting wall mount (Peerless ST-650P) to install the screen over my fireplace. The whole process went smoothly (for the most part), though I was a little disturbed to hit concrete with only one of the four pilot holes I drilled. Not sure what mix of material is behind the plaster over my fireplace, but it's definitely solid and the mount feels like it would hold up a few hundred pounds easily.

I did run in to one hefty snag while installing the tilting arms onto the back of the display panel. One of the installation screws (M8-40mm, I believe) locked up after a few turns and I couldn't get it to turn either way. I ended up completely stripping the screw head first, and then stripping the threaded insert on the TV loose from the inside of the set. You can imagine that I wasn't happy to have a 40mm screw stuck in a broken nut in the back of my new TV, but luckily it wasn't in the way of anything else. The wallmount included lots of screws for other sets, so I tightened the tilt arms with two M8-25mm screws instead of the single 40mm and they feel like they'll do the job just fine. I'm not sure what I'll have to do if I ever want to use the tabletop stand again, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!

Meanwhile, I'm working on getting all the cables bundled nicely and hidden out of the way as best I can. The TV looks fabulous wall mounted over the fireplace and I've reclaimed quite a bit of floor space in the living room. Now I just need to stretch out my neck to get used to the viewing angle... kind of like sitting in the front row at the movie theater!

-leigh

appreciate the feedback on your settings . i like the tv for the picture, changing channels was never a concern . has any setting given you overall happieness or is the diversity of sd and hd content got you jumping back and forth ?


Taking a cue from an earlier poster who did a settings avg (good work)

I captured all the settings data supplied by everyone who supplied them (ha) and broke it out to break-in and after break-in period. I would like to capture more after break-in period settings to get a more representative figures. Sampling for after break-in needs more data. Interesting though and seems to line up with the general group or forum tendencies..............

Avg. Settings for Break-In period
Brightness - 44
Contrast - 45
Saturation - 37
Hue - 0
Sharpness - 14
Color - More Cold or Std then Warm

Avg. Settings for after Break-In period
Brightness - 51
Contrast - 43
Saturation - 46
Hue - 0
Sharpness - 22
Color - More Std then Cold

One minor quibble I have with the HP controls on the Harmony--are there any discrete codes for the different aspect ratios? The Harmony wizard setup added an "Aspect" soft key on all of the activities, but pushing it only gets me the Aspect menu on the TV screen. I then have to switch to the TV device mode to change anything. As a workaround, I added custom keys for the TV remote's directional and Select buttons so I can control the Aspect once I get to that menu, but it seems like a waste of keys to use up for every Activity. Have any of you other Harmony users found a way to control the TV's Aspect ratio more easily?

-leighLeigh,

Not sure how the 550 key layout is but my 676 has two toggle keys, PIC and SOUND. These two keys are control layers independent of your DEVICE and ACTIVITY setups. Remove the aspect command from your activity because, as you say, that only opens the function and doesn't let you select anything. Next, click on the PIC key at the top of the screen (your PC monitor). That will take you to another layer of video commands. Add any TV command (like aspect or source) there, hit DONE, and then UPDATE my REMOTE. The next time you select any activity you can momentarily toggle to your TV commands and change ASPECT the same way you would if you selected TV in the DEVICE command. Hit the PIC key again and toggle back to your activity. I know this sounds confusing but you will understand once you see how the PIC and SOUND toggle keys work. I use the SOUND key to momentarily toggle to my audio receiver and change audio DSPs (digital soundfield processor) which simulate concert halls, rock concerts etc. By the way....the directions above are using the Harmony web site and not the software supplied supplied with the remote and loaded on your PC. I had problems with the software CD they sent me so I just stopped using it. Updating via their web site is much easier IMO so I just got used to using it.

Same here. The 550 has the pic and sound buttons, and I use them for those extra functions. Also if you use v7 of the Harmony remote software, it should work correctly. It works in conjuction with the web site. The software version shipped with my remote had problems as well, but the upgrade 7 works great.

Thanks guys.

I set up the custom commands and added some of of the other TV controls to the PIC settings for the activities and that works well enough, I guess. I just wish the HP either had discrete codes for each aspect ratio, or that pushing the ASPECT button repeatedly would just cycle through the different modes. That would do the job perfectly and it would only take one button! My friend's Samsung DLP does it and it's simple and effective.


Actually... as far as having a discrete code for the different aspect ratios, the service manual (p. 18) shows separate codes for each one when using the RS-232 control. That leads me to believe there might be IR commands to do the same.

RS-232 Command reference:

A S P T 0 - Auto mode
A S P T 1 - 16:9 mode
A S P T 2 - 4:3 mode
A S P T 3 - Zoom1 mode
A S P T 4 - Zoom2 mode
A S P T 5 - Panorama mode (Only TV mode)

Wait a second... it's even more direct than I thought! HP's list of discrete universal remote control codes (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00760655&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=&product=435734) that I linked earlier shows discrete codes for five different aspects. Is there any way to get Harmony to add these codes to their database for the remote? As far as I can tell, there is no way to use that information to program it myself.

thanks-

leigh

Wait a second... it's even more direct than I thought! HP's list of discrete universal remote control codes (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00760655&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=&product=435734) that I linked earlier shows discrete codes for five different aspects. Is there any way to get Harmony to add these codes to their database for the remote? As far as I can tell, there is no way to use that information to program it myself.

thanks-

leighYou don't need Harmony to add them. Learn them to your own configuration. Assign them any way you want. Use your original HP remote, hit the source key, scroll down to each individual command and then hit SELECT in the Harmony learning mode. Do that for each aspect listed.

You don't need Harmony to add them. Learn them to your own configuration. Assign them any way you want. Use your original HP remote, hit the source key, scroll down to each individual command and then hit SELECT in the Harmony learning mode. Do that for each aspect listed.

For these discreet commands you can't learn them, because the remote won't do them directly. It only has an aspect button to pull up the scrollable menu, not a button specifically for 16:9 for example. I'd love to know too if Logitech would add them to their database. That would be great.

For these discreet commands you can't learn them, because the remote won't do them directly. It only has an aspect button to pull up the scrollable menu, not a button specifically for 16:9 for example. I'd love to know too if Logitech would add them to their database. That would be great.I am not sure I agree with your reasoning. Just because you navigate through a menu to get to the selection you want does NOT mean it is not sending a discreet command. You are saying discreet commands must have discreet keys. If every discreet command had a discreet key then remote controls would be the size of bread boards and have 300 buttons on them. Also, if you are correct then the actual control for aspect ratio is done internally by the TV. In that case there are NO discreet commands that will work whether Harmony has them in its database or not. Navigate to the aspect ratio you are looking for using the HP remote, highlight it and then line it up with the Harmony before hitting the select key. I'm betting there is a discreet command for each selection on the menu. When you exit out of that screen then the "select" key just reverts back to "enter". What does he have to lose by trying it.

ASPECT-DOWN-SELECT = 16:9 discreet command

ASPECT-DOWN-DOWN-SELECT = 4:3 discreet command

...and so forth.

Er... on this one I'm not really using any reason (don't quote me on that!) :) He certainly won't lose anything from trying it. I'm almost positive though that when you hit select at that menu option, you just get the select command.

As mentioned earlier though, the harmony includes all the discreet codes for input: HDMI1, component1, component2, etc and will tune them directly whereas the HP remote will not. The HP remote will not directly tune the aspect so harmony can't memorize them, and harmony doesn't include the discreet commands for them currently. I wish it did send some kind of discreet command when going through a menu, but unless I'm completely wrong (yes it has happened before lol) it doesn't. Once the menu is up it just responds to up, down, left, right, select/enter, exit, etc.

Another example is the power button. The HP remote has one power button for powertoggle. It does not have the other 2 discreet commands for poweron and poweroff.

If you know of a way to get the discreet codes another way then please let me know. I'd love to experiment with it. :) That's kind of the whole reason that manufacturers post the discreet codes though as they can't have 300 buttons on their remotes. Remotes with displays can though and are able to directly send that command from a macro.

I am not sure I agree with your reasoning. Just because you navigate through a menu to get to the selection you want does NOT mean it is not sending a discreet command. You are saying discreet commands must have discreet keys. If every discreet command had a discreet key then remote controls would be the size of bread boards and have 300 buttons on them.

I'm not at home right now so I can't test it out right away, but I'd have to agree with Jorakal on this one. Sure, including every discrete command on the remote would make for far too many buttons, but that doesn't mean there aren't separate commands for things that are only accessible otherwise via the on-screen menu. For example, to change the aspect ratio, the set of keypresses is something like this:

(Aspect) (DirectionDown) (DirectionDown) (Select)

Depending on what aspect the TV is set on currently, and what aspect you want to select, the number of (DirectionDown) presses will vary. Unless the IR communication between the TV and the factory remote is bi-directional, the factory remote has no way of knowing what menu is showing on the TV, and what selection is currently highlighted.

Also, if you are correct then the actual control for aspect ratio is done internally by the TV. In that case there are NO discreet commands that will work whether Harmony has them in its database or not. Navigate to the aspect ratio you are looking for using the HP remote, highlight it and then line it up with the Harmony before hitting the select key. I'm betting there is a discreet command for each selection on the menu. When you exit out of that screen the the "select" key just reverts back to "enter". What does he have to lose by trying it.

Yeah, I really don't think that will work (but I will certainly give it a try.) The factory remote has no idea what choice it is making, it's just sending the navigation controls and then (Select) when the user picks the appropriate selection from the menu. The remote isn't going to send a different IR code depending on what the user chooses from the ASPECT menu on the TV (or any other menu for that manner.) You can test this out by going to the aspect menu on the TV, pointing the remote in another direction, pressing the down arrow a few times, then pointing it back at the TV and pressing Select. If there was any "logic" in the factory remote that kept track of the menus, it wouldn't match up if you aimed it away from the TV.

There are discrete codes that are available via the Harmony software, even though those buttons don't exist on the factory remote. For example, the TV accepts the discrete commands for the different inputs, but there would be no way to "learn" them with a universal remote unless you have another device (or online database with the Harmony) that knows those discrete IR codes already. I'm fairly sure that trying to learn the commands using the existing remote would just get the command for (Select), since that's the last key pushed when choosing the input via the onscreen menu. The discrete PowerOn and PowerOff functions that the Harmony can do work in the same way. They don't exist on the included HP remote (it only has PowerToggle) but they are very useful for programming macros and activities.


Based on the online documentation provided by HP, I'm willing to believe there are discrete IR codes for the different aspect ratios. Even a command for (NextAspect) would do the job. We just need to find a way to get to them!

appreciate the feedback on your settings . i like the tv for the picture, changing channels was never a concern . has any setting given you overall happieness or is the diversity of sd and hd content got you jumping back and forth ?

Hope you're tolerating all the remote control discussion going on in this thread! :o

I'm past the 100-hour break-in period, but I have yet to calibrate my HP plasma using the Avia DVD. I believe my current settings are pretty close to what philster posted earlier, thought they may be varied a little for each input. I have my Integra A/V receiver doing some of the video switching and yet I still have 3 inputs in use on the display:

TV Input
S-Video1: Tivo Series2 (SD 480i), Motorola 3412 DVR (SD channels)
Component 1: Panasonic DVD (480p), XBox (480p/720p), PS2
HDMI: Motorola 3412 HD-DVR (currently outputting 720p)


I have played around with some of the different settings on the cable box, and right now I've found the 720p display to be the most pleasing. I have the box set to output SD channels stretched at 720p as well. When I end up watching a show that is broadcast in letterboxed 4:3 (such as "The Office" on the analog NBC channel, or the rare letterboxed 4:3 show on a HD channel), I switch to the S-Video input on the TV so I can have a better control of the aspect ratio to zoom correctly. Otherwise I just watch all of the regular cable via the Moto box ->HDMI.

As it stands, the cable box seems to do a decent job of upconverting the SD channels when I don't need to do any additional zooming. Watching shows via the TiVo's analog tuner is noticeably worse though--there is just a lot more noise that isn't present through the Motorola's digital tuner.

Hello everyone,

I have been lurking on this site for a while and I have found a lot of great information here. I picked up a HP PL5060N Saturday at BB. They had this TV on sale for $1599 and only one left so I figured what the heck?

My first impression is WOW! I have never owned a Plasma display so I am pretty much new to this area of HD. This TV replaced my Sony KDF-E50A10 (which has been relegated to the game room) in the living room. The first thing that struck me was the display itself. It looks almost like a picture frame while turned off. The asteitics of a display are very important to me along with the picture quality of the display. There are no shiney parts to the frame. Just a black border all the way around. I like that! Picture quality of the HP compared to my Sony LCD might be a notch above. Having never owned a Plasma display I have nothing to compare it to other than my Sony. I have taken some of your settings and applied them to mine and I have to agree, they look fantastic! Sound quality of this display isn’t very important to me as I don’t even have the speakers hooked up. As of right now I am running everything through my Denon S-301 system so once again sound quality isn’t an issue with this display.

I am sure that there are better displays out there but for the money I don’t think you can beat the HP for quality or price.

Here are a few pictures of it mounted in my house.



http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b257/turnerfamily10/House/DSC01543.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b257/turnerfamily10/House/DSC01545.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b257/turnerfamily10/House/DSC01544.jpg


SD picture

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b257/turnerfamily10/House/DSC01547.jpg


HD picture

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b257/turnerfamily10/House/DSC01548.jpg

Britt

If you know of a way to get the discreet codes another way then please let me know. I'd love to experiment with it. :) That's kind of the whole reason that manufacturers post the discreet codes though as they can't have 300 buttons on their remotes. Remotes with displays can though and are able to directly send that command from a macro.How does the remote know it is looking at a display (or anything for that matter) while someone is pushing its buttons? Why would HP have discreet codes that couldn't be used by or for anything? Even by its own remote?? I could be wrong. But a combination or particular sequence of button pushes could easily generate a specific code. I'm done beating this dead horse. I'll probably try it next time I need to update my Harmony though just to see what happens. I had an HTM-500 learning remote that I had to do this with my Yamaha receiver...push two or three keys to stage the command and then enter to learn it.

Here are a few pictures of it mounted in my house.
g[/IMG][/center]

BrittThats a good looking installation. The display seems kinda high though. Maybe its an illusion. How high are your ceilings?

Nice pics. Nice furniture. That is an awesome deal you got on that tv. Glad to have another HP owner. :)

I currently own the PL4260N and am thinking of getting the PL5060N as well. My 4260 is wall mounted and from my couch the center of the screen is at eye level. If I decide to swap it (4260) out with the 5060 and than move the 4260 to another room, am I going to need to reposition my wall bracket? I don't want to drill any additional holes in the studs if I can avoid it. I'm using a mount I got from monoprice for the 4260.

Sonny

Thats a good looking installation. The display seems kinda high though. Maybe its an illusion. How high are your ceilings?
Ceiling is 10 ft. and steps up to 14 ft. in the center. The display is mounted a little higher than I would like (about 6 ft.) but if you notice my thermostat right below the display, I was afraid the display would affect the settings on the thermostat and therefore affect the entire house. My living room is a little over 17 ft. wide so it doesn't look as bad as you would think in person.


Nice pics. Nice furniture. That is an awesome deal you got on that tv. Glad to have another HP owner. :)
Thanks!

Britt

:)

I currently own the PL4260N and am thinking of getting the PL5060N as well. My 4260 is wall mounted and from my couch the center of the screen is at eye level. If I decide to swap it (4260) out with the 5060 and than move the 4260 to another room, am I going to need to reposition my wall bracket? I don't want to drill any additional holes in the studs if I can avoid it. I'm using a mount I got from monoprice for the 4260.

SonnyYou will be gaining 8 inches diagonally. I doubt your bracket height or TV position will be significantly impacted... unless you have some other physical interference like a center speaker or something.

Nice looking setup, Britt! That's a pretty good way to hide the cables if you don't want to cut any holes in the drywall. I just wonder if it would have been better in the long run to move the thermostat two feet to the right to avoid any heat issues from the plasma screen. Then you could have had a less neck-straining viewing angle.

And I guess that "Beer Man" isn't just a clever avatar--that's a sweet kegerator hanging out in the other room! What's on tap this month?

Nice looking setup, Britt! That's a pretty good way to hide the cables if you don't want to cut any holes in the drywall. I just wonder if it would have been better in the long run to move the thermostat two feet to the right to avoid any heat issues from the plasma screen. Then you could have had a less neck-straining viewing angle.Thanks leigh,

I guess the pictures are a little deceptive. In person it really isn't bad at all. That said, I believe that I can lower the display about 6 inches without affecting the thermostat. The more I look at this display it looks like most of the heat exits from the top right and left of the monitor. That would put the display dead center on the wall and maybe a little more proportional.

I bought the strip to cover the cables at Lowes and painted it to match my wall. It's not the ideal way but I guess it's better (read easier since I am lazy) than cutting holes in the wall and fishing cables and Romex.


And I guess that "Beer Man" isn't just a clever avatar--that's a sweet kegerator hanging out in the other room! What's on tap this month? Thanks! This month I have Boulevard Pale Ale on tap from Boulevard Brewing Co. in K.C. Missouri. I just ran out of Fat Tire Amber Ale from New Belgium Brewing Co. in Colorado. Most of my friends consider me a "Beer snob" since I won't drink Bud, Miller, Coors, etc. I tend to favor Micro Brews and I am always on the lookout for new brews. If your ever this way, your welcome to stop by and have one.... or ten :D .

Britt

Greetings! I just pickup up the 42" last week. Been putting it off for a while and the Bears making it to the SuperBowl clinched it for my wife and me. Can't have a SB party with a 19" tv! It's good to know that there are others who have knowledge and experience with this model because I haven't seen too many around.

It's my first HD, so I'm pretty much a newb, so please forgive me if I ask a lot of questions. I got it from BB and liked the fact that I could walk out with it and set it up myself. I'm still waiting for my HD dish receiver so I hooked to the dish tuner with the s-video and my DVD player is kind of old so that's just going through the composite. I'm happy with the quality, but I know it can only get better.

I have noticed some "interference" at times. Sometimes there with be what looks like a bad reception on an antenna for a second. Is this normal?

I have noticed some "interference" at times. Sometimes there with be what looks like a bad reception on an antenna for a second. Is this normal?

Welcome to the HP owners thread. :) I only used svideo to my TV for one day before I got my HD cable box. It did not look great. I did not have time to tweak it all because I was getting HD. Haven't really used the composite video either so no idea. Once you get either 480p, 720p, or 1080i going to it through component or HDMI though and it's wow time! Also tweak time. :)

If you can, try both component and DVI/HDMI from the box to the TV. Different combinations of boxes, TVs, and providers seem to work better with one or the other.

Doug

Here is my first attempt at posting pics. I didn't realize the 4megapixel camera I was using was set to the max resolution 2304 x 1728, so posting the thumbnails first. I'll work on getting them at a lower resolution later, and better pics. I noticed Beer Man uses imagefling so I went with it too.

One pic of my equipment, and 2 of an HD image I was trying to capture for grins. Just click the thumbnails to go to imagefling for the full size one.

http://www.imagefling.com/thumbs/3067_th_TV 01312007 900.jpg (http://www.imagefling.com/view.php?image=3067_TV 01312007 900.jpg)http://www.imagefling.com/thumbs/3065_th_TV 01312007 121.jpg (http://www.imagefling.com/view.php?image=3065_TV 01312007 121.jpg)http://www.imagefling.com/thumbs/3066_th_TV 01312007 123.jpg (http://www.imagefling.com/view.php?image=3066_TV 01312007 123.jpg)

Any idea at all when the 4272 and 5072 will be available? I'm lovin' my 4260 but want to add a 50" to the house. After reading the specs on the new models, I'm going to wait for them.

One pic of my equipment, and 2 of an HD image I was trying to capture for grins. Just click the thumbnails to go to imagefling for the full size one.


Nice pics... I just hope the HD programming is a better view than whatever is outside that window! :D

Come to think of it, just set your TV to turn on automatically at 7am for Sunrise Earth on Discovery HD Theater--who needs real windows when you've got HD?

I bought my HP4260N at BB in Nov. On day 3 I called HP and complained about a buzzing noise when the volume is off. They sent a tech to my house who replaced all the power boards in the unit, and the buzzing is almost non existent now. I do hear a slight buzzing on bright whites if my volume is turned way down.

Any idea at all when the 4272 and 5072 will be available? I'm lovin' my 4260 but want to add a 50" to the house. After reading the specs on the new models, I'm going to wait for them.

I searched a bit, but all sites I found say HP has not announced pricing or availability yet.

I have been keeping up with this forum regularly but have not posted in awhile.

Update on my previous posts about a flicker. I have come to understand from online reviews of the 4260 and other plasmas that what I am referring to is not a flicker but a "floating black". It seems that when the screen is very dark around the edge but bright spots in the middle, the outer blacks go through a couple different shades of bright or contrast just for a second. I notice this with dark programs like CSI or 24. There was a close up on 24 Monday of a face and the character was in a black suit. In the close up the face stayed correct but the black in the suit "flickered" a bit in brightness.

It seems from the reviews this is common among PDPs? CNET refers to it as "floats black" Any thoughts?

As for other issues raised in this forum:

PQ is great. Agree that depending on the HD channel and resolution there is a good/better/best. DiscoveryHD is awesome. Some other HD content can be slightly grainy. Still looks good though. Don't think it is the fault of the TV. Running DirecTv HD DVR by HDMI.

No buzz to report. I never attached the speakers. I am going through a Sony surround with optical cable.

Settings - have had this since 12/8/06. Almost ready to say it is broken in. Current settings for most programs:

Brightness - 48
Contrast - 48
Saturation - 48-54 depedning on program
Hue - 0
Sharpness - 12 (I found sports and hair/eyes to shiny with this at the standard 40 - through info on this forum)

Any using the 360 HD addon with the VGA? How is it?

I bought a VGA cable for my Xbox 360 and hooked it up thru the PC input on the back of TV and the audio into the spot next to it that uses the headphone jack adapter ..I get nothing..Does anyone have any idea what is wrong??
Thanks

I'd like to know as well...

hey guys, i don't know if i have a problem or not w/ my PL5060N. I just picked it up. Basically, I've been loving the tv. I recently just tried changing the aspect ratio to see how it looks... originally at 16:9 out of the box. Now, when I go to local aired HD channels, I still get black bars on the side even if I put it to 16:9. Shouldn't it stretch the picture to fit the screen? All my non HD channels stretch, but the HD channels won't necessarily stretch to fit. I don't know if I need to call HP support or not. The super bowl fitted the entire screen at 16:9, but I'm watching HD channels right now (news specifically), and none are fitting to the screen. I could have sworn that they fit the screen before. Can anyone please tell me if this is normal?

Now, when I go to local aired HD channels, I still get black bars on the side even if I put it to 16:9. What do you mean by "local aired HD channels? Are you receiving these over-the-air with an antenna or via cable or satellite? HD by definition is 16:9. There is no stretching involved. Not every program on an HD channel is actually captured with HD cameras. All of my local news channels (and most of the daytime programming) is in standard definition transmitted OTA on a digital HD channel. Any program not actually captured in HD is going to be letterboxed (black bars).

mine fits it to 16x9 on some of the channels,not all

is there an audio problem with this tv? my lip synch is usually off just a tiny bit but i cant stand that, and commercials and tv shows have vastly different sound levels, last night on criminal minds we couldnt hear the voices at all,nothing for a few minutes, but we could hear the music fine, i went to the other room to where i recorded it on dvd and it was fine

whats the deal here? is this just a screwed up system? is there an update or something?

mine fits it to 16x9 on some of the channels,not all

is there an audio problem with this tv? my lip synch is usually off just a tiny bit but i cant stand that, and commercials and tv shows have vastly different sound levels, last night on criminal minds we couldnt hear the voices at all,nothing for a few minutes, but we could hear the music fine, i went to the other room to where i recorded it on dvd and it was fine

whats the deal here? is this just a screwed up system? is there an update or something?There is nothing you can do about the different sound levels. There is no level discipline between channels or even on the same channel between programs and commercials. In the old analog days TV mfgrs could put a limiter on the audio output and level out the sound. No can do with digital audio. You get out exactly what the programmers put in. Your missing center channel audio (voice dialog) is a screw up at your local broadcaster. The program was being sent in Dolby 5.1 surround and your local station had it switched for Dolby 2.0.

hey guys, i don't know if i have a problem or not w/ my PL5060N. I just picked it up. Basically, I've been loving the tv. I recently just tried changing the aspect ratio to see how it looks... originally at 16:9 out of the box. Now, when I go to local aired HD channels, I still get black bars on the side even if I put it to 16:9. Shouldn't it stretch the picture to fit the screen? All my non HD channels stretch, but the HD channels won't necessarily stretch to fit. I don't know if I need to call HP support or not. The super bowl fitted the entire screen at 16:9, but I'm watching HD channels right now (news specifically), and none are fitting to the screen. I could have sworn that they fit the screen before. Can anyone please tell me if this is normal?

Your TV does not have a problem. Like Digitude said, you are seeing an image captured with SD cameras that is being transmitted over HD. For example during the superbowl, didn't you see a lot of commercials that did not fill up the screen? There were HD and SD commercials all being transmitted over HD. The SD commercials were a 4:3 picture being sent over 16:9 HD so they had bars on the side. The local news stations here in San Antonio do not use HD cameras. They transmit an SD 4:3 picture over HD and you see the bars on the side. The thing I hate the worst is when a station broadcasts a program originally recorded in HD over SD. For example my local PBS station only broadcasts an HD signal in prime time. So at other times they will broadcast a 16:9 HD picture in a 4:3 SD broadcast. So I get a letter boxes on the top and sides unless I stretch it.

From my experience so far, the only way to really see an awesome HDTV signal using awesome HDTV cameras is to watch the Discovery HD channel. You will be able to experiment with your equipment and connections (HDMI or Component for example) and settings.

So in short... until all media switches to HD cameras, you will see all different combinations of 4:3 and 16:9 media broadcast in all manner of ways. It is very confusing for those who don't study up on it. And also another reason so many HDTV's are returned or have service calls placed. This is all in addition to the ways the TV is actually connected and all the different kinds of equipment used to feed the signal to the TV.

During Superbowl and I have seen this at other times but this is a good example:

Picture is great watching the game but if they zoom into the sidelines and someone is walking in front of the camera close up it is very pixelized. Also sometime when switching channels or inputs it seems grainy for a couple secs and then stabilizes. Is this normal?


Also do you think a $100 HDMI Monster cable is that much, if any superior than a cheap $25 dollar one? I had the monster cable but I returned it because I like the picture on component as much or better than the Monster. Can component be as good or should I be getting a better HDMI?

Thank You

P.S. Jorakal, you don't actual watch that CSI - Miami do you? It might be a decent show, but I couldn't stand watching that over-actor and his corny lines long enough to find out. :p

mine fits it to 16x9 on some of the channels,not all

is there an audio problem with this tv? my lip synch is usually off just a tiny bit but i cant stand that, and commercials and tv shows have vastly different sound levels, last night on criminal minds we couldnt hear the voices at all,nothing for a few minutes, but we could hear the music fine, i went to the other room to where i recorded it on dvd and it was fine

whats the deal here? is this just a screwed up system? is there an update or something?


I notice that sound thing a lot. CBS is usually very good for sound and lip synch (CSI's, the Unit, NCIS). NBC seems really bad. Last week The Office was almost unwatchable due to the sound. It was very muffled and seemed like it had an echo and the lip synch was terrible. However, the premium channels and the HDNets and Discovery are awesome. I only notice the audio problems on NBC and sometimes ABC. I put on Anchorman on ABC Saturday night. It was very jumpy (picture) and out of synch with the audio.

If you are thinking it is the TV, as others have suggested, watch some Discovery HD and you will realize it is the "Networks" broadcasts.

What do you mean by "local aired HD channels? Are you receiving these over-the-air with an antenna or via cable or satellite? HD by definition is 16:9. There is no stretching involved. Not every program on an HD channel is actually captured with HD cameras. All of my local news channels (and most of the daytime programming) is in standard definition transmitted OTA on a digital HD channel. Any program not actually captured in HD is going to be letterboxed (black bars).


thanks for the reply, i'm using the built in hdtv tuner with an antenna. so basically, I really don't have much control with the aspect ratio on HD channels if I understand what you're saying. i just think it's so odd that you can't stretch it to fill the screen when you want as you can w/ the non hd channels. well, at least I know my tv isn't broken I guess. :cool:

The thing I hate the worst is when a station broadcasts a program originally recorded in HD over SD. For example my local PBS station only broadcasts an HD signal in prime time. So at other times they will broadcast a 16:9 HD picture in a 4:3 SD broadcast. So I get a letter boxes on the top and sides unless I stretch it.

My whole problem with some HD broadcasts was that I couldn't get it to stretch at all at a 16:9. Changing it to 4:3 actually makes them look squished, but at a 16:9 they look more like a 4:3 w/ the black bars on each end. That's what raised my original concern. Granted, I've only had this TV for maybe 2 weeks... so I realized that I might just be new w/ how hdtv works so I thought I'd ask some experts. :D

I've had the 5060N for a couple of months - love it! However, I'm not sure I have settings correct. When I'm watching HD content, all is well - the screen is full without "zooming" using the stb remote. But, when a 4:3 SD commercial intervenes, it displays 4:3 with the black sidebars. Is there a setting that allows 'automatic' conversion to 16:9, or greater, so there are no black areas - sides or top? I'm constantly zooming for some SD shows and back for HD. Thanks

Any using the 360 HD addon with the VGA? How is it?

No help? So far ive heard VGA does NOT work...

Picture is great watching the game but if they zoom into the sidelines and someone is walking in front of the camera close up it is very pixelized. Also sometime when switching channels or inputs it seems grainy for a couple secs and then stabilizes. Is this normal?

I've never seen a pixelized doing a close-up. Switching channels it doesn't get grainy or anything else, but I have it set to constant 1080i. If I set it to show native format, and it switches from 480i or 720p or 1080i to something else, then there are a few secs of static before it zero's in.

Also do you think a $100 HDMI Monster cable is that much, if any superior than a cheap $25 dollar one? I had the monster cable but I returned it because I like the picture on component as much or better than the Monster. Can component be as good or should I be getting a better HDMI?

P.S. Jorakal, you don't actual watch that CSI - Miami do you? It might be a decent show, but I couldn't stand watching that over-actor and his corny lines long enough to find out. :p

Yes a cheap HDMI cable is as good as an expensive one. It either works or it doesn't. Monoprice has many HDMI cables for far less than $20. And yes component can look as good as HDMI. Just depends on all the variables involved as to which will look better or if they look the same.

And yes I actually watch CSI Miami. :) I like to laugh at his overacting. The rest of the show I like.

My whole problem with some HD broadcasts was that I couldn't get it to stretch at all at a 16:9.

Yes it's true. You can only stretch an SD broadcast. If it's an HD broadcast you can't stretch it on the TV itself. It's the one thing I would add to the HP's. Fortunately my Scientific Atlanta 8300HD DVR cable box let's me stretch and zoom anything it displays.

Is there a setting that allows 'automatic' conversion to 16:9, or greater, so there are no black areas - sides or top?

Nope. :( It's because that is still a 16:9 signal. The station is adding the black bars, so the set doesn't know it's a 4:3 image with black bars on the sides.

I've probably mentioned this before, but it's really obvious on the Denver CBS station, because they provide gray sidebars instead of black. The Denver Fox station sometimes adds their logo to the righthand bar, too, which is another dead giveaway.

Doug

Originally Posted by GizmoDVD
Any using the 360 HD addon with the VGA? How is it?



I've tried eveything to get this cable to work but no luck..The TV is trying to display something because the "no signal" display does not come up but it is just a blank screen and no audio..

If anyone gets this up and runnin let us know

Originally Posted by GizmoDVD
Any using the 360 HD addon with the VGA? How is it?



I've tried eveything to get this cable to work but no luck..The TV is trying to display something because the "no signal" display does not come up but it is just a blank screen and no audio..

If anyone gets this up and runnin let us know

It looks like there are two VGA type ports on the back of the TV...did you try both? I want to get the VGA cable but Im afraid it won't work as it didn't work on my last TV.

It looks like there are two VGA type ports on the back of the TV...did you try both? I want to get the VGA cable but Im afraid it won't work as it didn't work on my last TV.The other connector is an RS-232 and not a VGA. I don't think there is any consumer use for it.

So the VGA port is then useless on these TVs?

Nope, I'm running my Mac Mini to the VGA port just fine.

Doug

First off I'd like to say hello, this would be my first post on these forums altho I've been reading for quite some time now I must admit.

Picking up my 42" HP plasma this Thursday as soon as the shipment arrives and I had a question about how I should go about hooking it all up.

For starters I have an older model receiver, a Pioneer XV-HTD520 I know for a fact this doesn't have an HDMI input. Reason for my concern is because we have Time Warner Cable which seems to have sound problems so I would just like some help setting these two together so I can at least get my audio from the reciever and not have to worry about it. I also have an XBOX 360 just thought I'd mention that.

Can anyone give me a good example of how I should set these up so video is still HD but sound comes from another source and maybe a way to get the XBOX in there somehow? Maybe I should consider a HDMI switch?

So the VGA port is then useless on these TVs?I don't know much about game boxes but I believe they are designed to operate with a component input. That would seem to be especially relevant for the blu-ray and HD-DVD function. My three year old Panasonic plasma allows one to set the VGA input to operate either RGB or Component. I guess HP didn't have the foresight to do this.

Can anyone give me a good example of how I should set these up so video is still HD but sound comes from another source and maybe a way to get the XBOX in there somehow? Maybe I should consider a HDMI switch?Sebrina,
An HDMI switch may be going overboard since your receiver does not accept it and therefore you would lose the sound function of HDMI anyway. Is your receiver Dolby 5.1 with optical audio inputs?

Tom

my denon av receiver accepts all my inputs component composite and s-video and outputs to the tv . it allows my to view a picture and listen to another source such as a cd or radio while watching the picture from another source . since the denon does not have hdmi i run direct to the tv . you cannot split the audio and video sources with the tv in the menu . i am unclear about your conflict with sources , perhaps if you described your device connections.



First off I'd like to say hello, this would be my first post on these forums altho I've been reading for quite some time now I must admit.

Picking up my 42" HP plasma this Thursday as soon as the shipment arrives and I had a question about how I should go about hooking it all up.

For starters I have an older model receiver, a Pioneer XV-HTD520 I know for a fact this doesn't have an HDMI input. Reason for my concern is because we have Time Warner Cable which seems to have sound problems so I would just like some help setting these two together so I can at least get my audio from the reciever and not have to worry about it. I also have an XBOX 360 just thought I'd mention that.

Can anyone give me a good example of how I should set these up so video is still HD but sound comes from another source and maybe a way to get the XBOX in there somehow? Maybe I should consider a HDMI switch?

vga and component inputs work just fine .

For starters I have an older model receiver, a Pioneer XV-HTD520 I know for a fact this doesn't have an HDMI input. Reason for my concern is because we have Time Warner Cable which seems to have sound problems so I would just like some help setting these two together so I can at least get my audio from the reciever and not have to worry about it. I also have an XBOX 360 just thought I'd mention that.

Can anyone give me a good example of how I should set these up so video is still HD but sound comes from another source and maybe a way to get the XBOX in there somehow? Maybe I should consider a HDMI switch?

I searched around the net for some info on that Pioneer. It looks like it is a combo DVD 5 disk player/receiver. I could not find a manual but it looks like it should have one digital coax input. It might have 2 total input connections as it has a TV/AUX in button. Unfortunately it is a non-progressive DVD player so no component out.

So how to hook this up? It would help to have the model number of your cable box. My San Antonio Time Warner uses Scientific Atlanta cable boxes that have no sound problems at all. Houston Time Warner uses Motorola cable boxes that might have HDMI sound issues with the TV. in any event it will not affect you.

Cable box: You will hook the video cables from you cable box directly to the TV and the audio cable directly to the receiver. If you have an HD cable box, you can use either HDMI/DVI or component video to the TV. If you have both sets of cables, then hook them both up to see which one gives the better picture. For sound hook a digital coax cable from the cable box to your receiver. If you don't have an HD cable box then that changes things, so again it would be nice to have your cable box brand andmodel number.

DVD: Your DVD player looks to be non-progressive. It has a super video out so 480i video. You would be extremely disappointed with the video from this going to the TV compared to an inexpensive progressive DVD player. I recommend getting a basic progressive DVD player ($30 - $50) or an upconverting DVD player ($60 - $100) to use with this TV. The basic player would give you a 480p picture. An upconverting player would give 720p or 1080i. So the picture would be MUCH better than an older standard 480i dvd player. If you did get another DVD player you'd have to figure out how to hook up the sound. If you use the digital input for the cable box, you'd have the stereo input (composite) left. So you'd most likely have to use the stereo out from the DVD player to your receiver.

During Superbowl and I have seen this at other times but this is a good example:

Picture is great watching the game but if they zoom into the sidelines and someone is walking in front of the camera close up it is very pixelized. Also sometime when switching channels or inputs it seems grainy for a couple secs and then stabilizes. Is this normal?


I saw this as well and have seen it before. CBS, as well as most of the networks, broadcasts HD in 1080i. If the signal is 1080i, then you may see this pixellation; if 720p then you probably won't. This is the reason some of the networks selected 720p so their sports events wouldn't pixellate (Fox, ESPN for example). I don't think it is the TV; I surmise it is the limited bandwidth of the cable/satellite signal. It is most obvious on 1080i sports when the camera is panning close to the action and much of the screen is being repainted continuously.

I just bought my PL4260 at BB today. [EDIT]. I've never owned a plasma and have ignorant questions for you.

1. What am I supposed to do for the first 100 or 200 hours? Lower the brightness? Keep it running?

2. I will be setting up TimeWarner Digital Cable, DVR with HD. What cables do I need for myself? Any ideas or will TW supply the appropriate cables for optimal set-up?

Thank you for the help! I love this forum and appreciate all of you and your help.

I just bought my PL4260 at BB today. [EDIT]. I've never owned a plasma and have ignorant questions for you.

1. What am I supposed to do for the first 100 or 200 hours? Lower the brightness? Keep it running?

2. I will be setting up TimeWarner Digital Cable, DVR with HD. What cables do I need for myself? Any ideas or will TW supply the appropriate cables for optimal set-up?

Thank you for the help! I love this forum and appreciate all of you and your help.
For break-in, just set user settings as low as you can and still have a decent picture, also try to keep the screen fully covered with picture, which will mean strecthing or zooming some programs.
As for cables, this will depend on what other equipment your hooking into, if your only going straight to the tv, then all you need is an HDMI cable or a component cable and 2 rcas for sound.

I will be setting up TimeWarner Digital Cable, DVR with HD. What cables do I need for myself? Any ideas or will TW supply the appropriate cables for optimal set-up?

Time Warner in San Antonio gives component cables with the Scientific Atlanta 8000 cable box, and an HDMI cable with the 8300 box. No idea what they'll supply you in your city. Just call them. :)

I saw this as well and have seen it before. CBS, as well as most of the networks, broadcasts HD in 1080i. If the signal is 1080i, then you may see this pixellation; if 720p then you probably won't. This is the reason some of the networks selected 720p so their sports events wouldn't pixellate (Fox, ESPN for example). I don't think it is the TV; I surmise it is the limited bandwidth of the cable/satellite signal. It is most obvious on 1080i sports when the camera is panning close to the action and much of the screen is being repainted continuously.

ESPN has 1080i sports broadcasts that are fine. There is something strange with 1080i on CBS. I get the pixelation during fast motion. Some people believe cable companies are transcoding the images to use less bandwidth. I suspect something is funky with CBS's encoding hardware. Sony touts that they are the HD equipment suppllier for CBS. I don't think they should be too vocal about it.

I've been trying to find an answer to my problem but haven't found anything yet so I decided to post here. It's been a few months since I bought my PL4260N and every once in a while towards the center of the screen there's some green staticy plasma-ey coloring that shows up for a second or two and then disappears. It's hard to explain what it looks like so I tried my best. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

I've been trying to find an answer to my problem but haven't found anything yet so I decided to post here. It's been a few months since I bought my PL4260N and every once in a while towards the center of the screen there's some green staticy plasma-ey coloring that shows up for a second or two and then disappears. It's hard to explain what it looks like so I tried my best. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

I saw something like that once. All in all stuff like that, on my TV, has come down to the station I'm watching or the particular show. So on your TV, is it a particular station or show or is there no rhyme or reason when it occurs?

I just went through figuring how to get the VGA cable to work. There are two ways:

1. Turn on TV and Xbox, switch TV to PC input, then plug in VGA cable. (Apparently when the TV is switched to PC input, it sends an identifying code to the Xbox that the Xbox reads as incompatible). Of course the downside is that this must done every time you want to use the Xbox, and the VGA plug is in an awkward place on the TV.

2. Pull pin12 out of the VGA cable. If you look closely into the plug, the pins are numbered. Pin 12 seems to carry the above mentioned code. By pulling it out, you can then use the VGA all the time without having to do #1 above.

I went through figuring out the VGA because the Xbox will upconvert DVD's, but only with VGA, not with component. I didn't see enough of a difference to justify the $40 price of the MS VGA cable. Maybe if I end up getting the HD-DVD add-on drive, I will try VGA again.

Oddly enough with the HD-DVD add-on you can send the output through component video cables instead of needing VGA. It was not required to use VGA for the copy protection of HD-DVD and BluRay. Of course if you play a regular DVD through the XBOX you need the VGA cable to upsample because regular DVDs (in any drive) won't go at anything higher than 480P.

for those who might want to know.

9 pins are all that are needed for a picture 123,678 color , 10 , 13,14 sync

so feel free to yank pin # 12 ..

Pin 1 RED Red video
Pin 2 GREEN Green video
Pin 3 BLUE Blue video
Pin 4 N/C Not connected
Pin 5 GND Ground
Pin 6 RED_RTN Red return
Pin 7 GREEN_RTN Green return
Pin 8 BLUE_RTN Blue return
Pin 9 N/C Not connected
Pin 10 GND Ground
Pin 11 N/C Not connected
Pin 12 SDA I²C data
Pin 13 HSYNC Horizontal sync
Pin 14 VSYNC Vertical sync
Pin 15 SCL I2C clock

I don't know how you guys figured out the whole pulling out the # 12 pin idea but it was right on point..I tried everything to get that VGA to work and couldn't figure it out..

Well, after all that I am still going to return it because I still like the PQ with the upconverting DVD player better..

Thanks Guys

I saw something like that once. All in all stuff like that, on my TV, has come down to the station I'm watching or the particular show. So on your TV, is it a particular station or show or is there no rhyme or reason when it occurs?

No I'm pretty sure it isn't a specific station because it even appears once in a while when I'm playing Xbox 360.

This is the first time that I have experienced this with a TV: my HP PL4260N locked up on me! The controls wouldn't...control it. The remote was useless, the buttons on the side, no good, the power button didn't work...

My brother in-law had brought over his Xbox360 and we were playing a game. The TV had been muted because of switching between digital/analog signals tends to blow out the speakers. (I don't recall the exact sequence of events.) After that it locked up.

It was very weird. I ended up only had to hold the power button down for about 4 seconds, and then it did shut off (instead of having to unplug it). I have had the set since June '06 and have not seen this issue before. Very strange.

Has anyone else heard of, or experienced, this?


--Cronk

I'm wondering about an ups for the pl5060. I don't want this to get too complicated, so I'll just stick with a fewsimple questions:

1. Is anyone using an UPS with the PL5060? If so what brand and model number?

2. I presume that a 1000VA / 500W unit will provide sufficient protection for the PL5060 and another component or two without stressing the unit. Correct?

for those who might want to know.

9 pins are all that are needed for a picture 123,678 color , 10 , 13,14 sync

so feel free to yank pin # 12 ..

Pin 1 RED Red video
Pin 2 GREEN Green video
Pin 3 BLUE Blue video
Pin 4 N/C Not connected
Pin 5 GND Ground
Pin 6 RED_RTN Red return
Pin 7 GREEN_RTN Green return
Pin 8 BLUE_RTN Blue return
Pin 9 N/C Not connected
Pin 10 GND Ground
Pin 11 N/C Not connected
Pin 12 SDA I²C data
Pin 13 HSYNC Horizontal sync
Pin 14 VSYNC Vertical sync
Pin 15 SCL I2C clock

I'm gonna go buy a VGA cable today....How do I know what pin #12 is? Do I need to open the cable up first?

Yep.

Step 1) Call HP Total Care and tell them you have a Motorola 64xx STB and you want to use HDMI but can't get audio. Explain how yet, your audio does work fine with component input and yes, your DVD player's HDMI connection works just fine.

Step 2) Sit on hold for 20 min.

Step 3) Get transfered to Retail Solutions

Step 4) Get a case number for the firmware upgrade

Step 5) Wait 3-5 days for HP to send the "part" (flash drive?) to the tech in your area.

Step 6) Set up an appointment for the HP tech to install the firmware upgrade.

I'm currently on Step 5) and holding...


Whats the phone number to them? I'd love to get this fixed soon...I hate having to swap out component and HDMI cables like crazy.

Does the PL5060 upconvert?

Does the PL5060 upconvert?

No

Does the PL5060 upconvert?
It depends a little on EXACTLY what you mean by the question. It'll handle all normal TV formats (SD, 720p, 1080i), it'll play DVDs from a non-up-converting DVD player, etc.

What are you really asking?

Doug

So the PL4260 only has one HDMI slot, as we all know. I'm getting TW HD DVR and an upconversion DVD player. That means TWO HDMI slots will be needed, right?

So my newbie dumb question is...What HDMI switch do I get? Can you make a recommendation to me?

I appreciate the help and love this forum. It's helped me countless times so far!

Does the PL5060 upconvert?

It converts incoming signals to its native 768p resolution.

I'm wondering about an ups for the pl5060. I don't want this to get too complicated, so I'll just stick with a fewsimple questions:

1. Is anyone using an UPS with the PL5060? If so what brand and model number?

2. I presume that a 1000VA / 500W unit will provide sufficient protection for the PL5060 and another component or two without stressing the unit. Correct?

1. Tripp Lite 1000 ($99 at Costco)
2. Yes.

So the PL4260 only has one HDMI slot, as we all know. I'm getting TW HD DVR and an upconversion DVD player. That means TWO HDMI slots will be needed, right?

So my newbie dumb question is...What HDMI switch do I get? Can you make a recommendation to me?

I appreciate the help and love this forum. It's helped me countless times so far!

I would use HDMI for one and component for the other, rather than get a switch. Hook both up using HDMI, then both using component, and see what looks better. If they look the same between HDMI and component, then no need for a switch. If both look dramatically better with HDMI then it's your call. If both look dramatically better with component, then use component for both.

Now if the upconverting DVD player requires HDMI for the upconvert, then you'd have to use HDMI for it and component for the cable box. Do you have the manufacturer and model numbers of the cable box and DVD player?

It depends a little on EXACTLY what you mean by the question. It'll handle all normal TV formats (SD, 720p, 1080i), it'll play DVDs from a non-up-converting DVD player, etc.

What are you really asking?

Doug

This is true of course. I guess I should say that no, the TV does not upconvert between formats on it's own. It will display the format that is fed to it. If you feed it 480i, then it displays 480i. You can't convert 480i to 720p or 1080i through the TV.

I haven't purchased the DVD player yet. Maybe I shouldn't get a upconverting one then. I love your idea about checking first so I'll try each and see if both truly need HDMI. If they do, do you recommend a switch?

Thanks for the help!

Whats the phone number to them? I'd love to get this fixed soon...I hate having to swap out component and HDMI cables like crazy.

http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/contact/phone_assist.html#section1

I've been considering this set for a while. I spent some time at BB yesterday and adjusted the picture settings and it looked great next to all the other Plasmas.

Has anyone had any problems with this set so far?

This is true of course. I guess I should say that no, the TV does not upconvert between formats on it's own. It will display the format that is fed to it. If you feed it 480i, then it displays 480i. You can't convert 480i to 720p or 1080i through the TV.
I doubt this very much. This TV's native resolution is 1366X768. Are you saying that it can only display a 480i feed as a little picture in the center of the screen? I would be very very surprised if that is the case.

I've been considering this set for a while. I spent some time at BB yesterday and adjusted the picture settings and it looked great next to all the other Plasmas.

Has anyone had any problems with this set so far?

Is working great for me.

I doubt this very much. This TV's native resolution is 1366X768. Are you saying that it can only display a 480i feed as a little picture in the center of the screen? I would be very very surprised if that is the case.

You may be reading this dialog out of context. The original question was does this TV upconvert? The TV does not perform upconversion from one broadcast format to another. Such as it doesn't convert 480i to 480p, 720p or 1080i on it's own. In my case my Scientific Atlanta box does the upconvert from 480i to 1080i as I have set it.

As to native resolution, my 42" is at 1024 x 768. All TV's perform their own conversion from whatever signal they are fed to the final output to their native resolution. Again though, this is not what was asked and answered.

Hi. I've been reading this forum for a while, but my first post. I work for HP, and have had an HP PL5060N since November. Overall, I love the set, but i've noticed something that I don't know whether it's an issue with my cable box (Comcast with Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300) or the set ... When watching something live - football, Nascar race, etc, and the screen pans across a large stadium with lots of people and other white areas, the whole screen will go dim for that shot, but if the shot changes to another angle it goes back to normal. Only happens on live shots, only happens on the large pan with crowds. Anyone else seen this?

thanks!

andy

Hi. I've been reading this forum for a while, but my first post. I work for HP, and have had an HP PL5060N since November. Overall, I love the set, but i've noticed something that I don't know whether it's an issue with my cable box (Comcast with Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300) or the set ... When watching something live - football, Nascar race, etc, and the screen pans across a large stadium with lots of people and other white areas, the whole screen will go dim for that shot, but if the shot changes to another angle it goes back to normal. Only happens on live shots, only happens on the large pan with crowds. Anyone else seen this?

thanks!

andy

Yes, I see it occasionally. I believe it's the auto-iris function trying to provide maximum contrast.

here is an issue i'm getting more and more lately,

after a little while with the cable box displaying 480i, the screen will start vibrating and become distorted. if i switch to a different source or to an hd resolution on an hd channel, the picture is fine again even if i go back to the old channel.

not sure if its a problem with the cable or not. i'm running an SA 8300HD box over component cables on my pl4260n

So last week I ordered the HP PL4260N and it's getting delivered tomorrow. I've got an XBox 360 and I've been strongly considering getting the 360 HDDVD add-on. I'd like to be able to use it for HDDVDs (of course) and also as an upconverting DVD player for our existing standard DVD collection. As others have noted here, by law the 360 cannot upconvert to 720p over the component connection. This means using the VGA connection. However, I've read reports around that on some TVs the VGA connection for the 360 looks worse than the component connection.

Can anyone confirm the quality of the 360 on the HP PLXX60N TVs over the VGA versus component? How about the quality of upconverted DVDs using the 360 HDDVD add-on in 720p over VGA versus 480p over component?

Thanks for any help.

So last week I ordered the HP PL4260N and it's getting delivered tomorrow. I've got an XBox 360 and I've been strongly considering getting the 360 HDDVD add-on. I'd like to be able to use it for HDDVDs (of course) and also as an upconverting DVD player for our existing standard DVD collection. As others have noted here, by law the 360 cannot upconvert to 720p over the component connection. This means using the VGA connection. However, I've read reports around that on some TVs the VGA connection for the 360 looks worse than the component connection.

Can anyone confirm the quality of the 360 on the HP PLXX60N TVs over the VGA versus component? How about the quality of upconverted DVDs using the 360 HDDVD add-on in 720p over VGA versus 480p over component?

Thanks for any help.


i use vga for my 360, and it looks MUCH better than component. the picture is SO much shaper, and the colors are more "natural" not washed out like others say.

you dont need the hddvd drive to upconvert. if the 360 is connected via vga, you can output the dvd's and whatever resolution your display supports. the picture quality is again, MUCH shaper than my LG upconverting player over HDMI, i continue to use the lg though for ease of use.

When watching something live - football, Nascar race, etc, and the screen pans across a large stadium with lots of people and other white areas, the whole screen will go dim for that shot, but if the shot changes to another angle it goes back to normal. Only happens on live shots, only happens on the large pan with crowds. Anyone else seen this? Yes, I see it occasionally. I believe it's the auto-iris function trying to provide maximum contrast.

Close... it's actually a built-in protection to prevent overly-bright whites from causing damage to the screen.

Try turning down your brightness and/or contrast settings and the auto-dimming function shouldn't occur as often. Comments from other users seem to indicate that it's most common in VIVID picture mode, so you might want to use another setting.

Thanks for the info, ocbaud. I didn't want to spend the extra $40 for the VGA cable if there was going to be a drop in quality and I wasn't going to be able to get all the way up to 1080p anyway. I'll give it a try and post my results here.

I have to say though that I'm skeptical about full upconversion over component. I'm pretty sure that it's illegal? Or does that only apply to HD players? I'm almost 100% certain that the 360 HDDVD add-on will not upconvert past 480p over component (even though HDDVDs can play all the way up to 1080i). I kinda figured it would be similar for the built-in 360 DVD player, but I certainly could be wrong.

Thanks for the info, ocbaud. I didn't want to spend the extra $40 for the VGA cable if there was going to be a drop in quality and I wasn't going to be able to get all the way up to 1080p anyway. I'll give it a try and post my results here.

I have to say though that I'm skeptical about full upconversion over component. I'm pretty sure that it's illegal? Or does that only apply to HD players? I'm almost 100% certain that the 360 HDDVD add-on will not upconvert past 480p over component (even though HDDVDs can play all the way up to 1080i). I kinda figured it would be similar for the built-in 360 DVD player, but I certainly could be wrong.

my bad, meant to put vga instead of component

my bad, meant to put vga instead of component
Ah, no problem. Of course, now my post doesn't make any sense. But that's okay. I'm not worried about my 'rep' here. ;^)

Hey all. First off, I haven't read the whole thread. I'll cop to that. I've gotten through the first 15 pages or so, and I'll be honest, it's starting to bore me (that's a good thing, because nobody has had one burst into flames AFAIK). So, could we maybe recap what's happened in the intervening 35 or so pages? What I saw:

1. IR seems to be the big complaint. The phosphors persist a little too long in some cases.

2. 1080i with fast motion looks a little crunchy (which is the HD that gets distributed at "big box" stores).

3. Image may overly sharpened or "edgy" and there's no surefire way to tame it.

Might be good if we could get a "page 1" recap or something.

Now, for my questions. I used to be a strong LCD proponent until I saw the current pricing direct from HP. I think I may have been converted. I'm looking at the 42" for our family room to be used as a "general use" set. Viewing distance will be somewhere around 12', which is fine because the 50" DLP will be going to the basement for hardcore home theater & gaming use. The set will be connected via coax to Time Warner (hoping for clear QAM) and also to an Xbox 360 for use as a media center extender (where I've got 2 SD & 1 OTA HD tuner). Little to no gaming will actually occur on this set. Any gotchas I should be concerned about? Do the stretch modes work via VGA coming from a 360?

Thanks guys!
D.

1. IR seems to be the big complaint. The phosphors persist a little too long in some cases.

2. 1080i with fast motion looks a little crunchy (which is the HD that gets distributed at "big box" stores).

3. Image may overly sharpened or "edgy" and there's no surefire way to tame it.


I have no problems with IR on my PL4260N.

1080i looks great on mine. Watched the superbowl in 1080i and it was great. (except for the rain issues). ESPN HD looks great on it.

I have no problems with sharpness. My sharpness setting is around 14. Bright at 50. Contrast at 40. Saturation at 42. Hue at 0. On cold.

I don't play games on it so no experience there. SD pictures over coax do not look as good as SD from my cable box. They are at 480i over coax. 1080i from my cable box. HD from the coax looks great but only about 6 stations.

i use vga for my 360, and it looks MUCH better than component. the picture is SO much shaper, and the colors are more "natural" not washed out like others say.

What VGA cable do you have? Did you spring for the MS version, or one of the el cheapo ones available on eBay?

Deezul

Close... it's actually a built-in protection to prevent overly-bright whites from causing damage to the screen.

Try turning down your brightness and/or contrast settings and the auto-dimming function shouldn't occur as often. Comments from other users seem to indicate that it's most common in VIVID picture mode, so you might want to use another setting.
Thanks for the reply - I don't have it in vivid mode, but I'll give the reduction of brightness a try to see if it helps. The explaination makes sense - only does it when it tries to display a portion of the screen that's very bright from a white-balance perspective. I'll let folks know if this does the trick.

thanks again - andy

What VGA cable do you have? Did you spring for the MS version, or one of the el cheapo ones available on eBay?

Deezul

i bought the ms one

i use vga for my 360, and it looks MUCH better than component. the picture is SO much shaper, and the colors are more "natural" not washed out like others say.

you dont need the hddvd drive to upconvert. if the 360 is connected via vga, you can output the dvd's and whatever resolution your display supports. the picture quality is again, MUCH shaper than my LG upconverting player over HDMI, i continue to use the lg though for ease of use.
Last night I compared the component input versus the VGA from the 360. Unfortunately, I seemed to have a different experience from you regarding the picture that came out, where the VGA looked 'washed out' at the same display settings. I'm curious, what display settings do you have for your VGA input? I'd be interested in trying them out to see if I can improve the picture.

Thanks.

Last night I compared the component input versus the VGA from the 360. Unfortunately, I seemed to have a different experience from you regarding the picture that came out, where the VGA looked 'washed out' at the same display settings. I'm curious, what display settings do you have for your VGA input? I'd be interested in trying them out to see if I can improve the picture.

Thanks.


its all a matter of opinion, mine probably looks just like yours does color wise, but i dont find it washed out, i like the colors myself, and the increased sharpness is well worth any other issues it might have. component is noticeably more blurry for me compared to vga running at 1024x768 native.

yeah, the colors are not as vibrant over vga, but they still look good to me.

its all a matter of opinion, mine probably looks just like yours does color wise, but i dont find it washed out, i like the colors myself, and the increased sharpness is well worth any other issues it might have. component is noticeably more blurry for me compared to vga running at 1024x768 native.

yeah, the colors are not as vibrant over vga, but they still look good to me.
Very true. However, if it's not too much trouble, I'd still be interested in your display settings. At least it will give me a point of reference to start from. I don't want to impose on you though, so if you don't feel like it then don't worry about it. I'll keep fumbling through on my own. ;^)

Very true. However, if it's not too much trouble, I'd still be interested in your display settings. At least it will give me a point of reference to start from. I don't want to impose on you though, so if you don't feel like it then don't worry about it. I'll keep fumbling through on my own. ;^)


haha yeah, i'll see what its at tonight after work.

It might also be worth considering using one of the "calibration" DVDs. Different DVD players (real or PC/Mac or Xbox or whatever), different cable types, etc. all might require different calibration settings to get the best picture. This is easy to do for DVD paths, not necessarily as easy for STBs and other video sources.

Doug

Yeah, I'll probably look into trying to rent one of those from the local video store. I'm also going to try the Rick H "Steaming Rat" calibration. But I'd really like a good starting point from someone who's happy with their settings.

The fact is, I just don't have a discerning eye for the visuals (or ear for the audio, for that matter). I never 'trained' myself for it. So someone else's opinion of what looks good is very valuable to me. ;^)

I hear you (no pun intended). I'm neither an audiophile nor a videophile, and I'm probably easy to please as a result!

Doug

See, that's the right way to look at it, Doug_Eldred. Myself, I look at it and think, "This probably doesn't look very good, but I don't know for sure!"

Purists aside, as long as it looks good (enough) to those actually watching it, it's okay. That doesn't mean we shouldn't make a reasonable effort to get it right, but it's not an all-consuming mission! :)

Doug

See, that's the right way to look at it, Doug_Eldred. Myself, I look at it and think, "This probably doesn't look very good, but I don't know for sure!"
You MIGHT want to pick up or read the latest Consumer Reports. Whatever you may think of their ratings and evaluations, they have a short article discussing what to look for when adjusting picture settings. And, again, so do the "calibration" DVDs, some more non-geek understandable than others. I'd guess that sites such as Cnet do too.

Doug

Hm, I subscribe to CR.org, but I never read through all of their articles on there. I've got a friend who has a physical copy of the magazine if the website doesn't have the right article. Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out.

I'm sure a lot of consumer-oriented, video-oriented, tech-oriented, computer-oriented, etc. sites have something that might be helpful, though quality may vary. I think Comcast has blurbs for www.thehdtvguru.com or something close to that.

I'm gonna go buy a VGA cable today....How do I know what pin #12 is? Do I need to open the cable up first?

look at the illustration . take a pair of needle nose pliers and rotate pin then pull.

do not rock it back and forth as you may bend other pins .

bkdg100, It's good to know for sure which pin it is. So how do you take it out? Should I just get in there with some needlenose pliers and give it a solid yank? Should I try to clip it off at the base? Or do I have to try and open the connector somehow? Is there some resource I could look at for more information?

Thanks.

whats up everyone. well...im havin a few problems with the tv. the hdmi from the tv to my dvd player decided to stop working so we had some guys come out from best buy and called hp support and i guess they got it working today while I was out. so I come home tonight and the dvd was working and everything was back to default settings.

so I turn the set off and go upstairs to eat and when I come back down, poof, the dvd isnt showing up, and I notice the hd isnt showing at 1080i, but 720p. so basically all I need to know is how to get it back to 1080i...since I dont have a clue how to switch resolutions. and if you have an idea on the dvd thing im all ears, but they're both under warranty still so if worst comes to worst im sure it'll get fixed one way or another.

I'm looking to buy the PL5060N, but I want to connect it to my PC running Vista Media Center. The best way to do this is to run the DVI from my computer to the HDMI port and run at the native resolution of the TV and let the computer do the scaling. Has anybody done this with this tv? can it accept the 1366x768p signal over hdmi? The specs say in the manual that the PC connection (VGA) can but it does not mention HDMI.

I'm looking to buy the PL5060N, but I want to connect it to my PC running Vista Media Center. The best way to do this is to run the DVI from my computer to the HDMI port and run at the native resolution of the TV and let the computer do the scaling. Has anybody done this with this tv? can it accept the 1366x768p signal over hdmi? The specs say in the manual that the PC connection (VGA) can but it does not mention HDMI.


I was wondering this as well. I have my Xbox 360 hooked up through VGA to take advantage of the higher resolution. However, in a few weeks I plan on getting Mediacom HD Cable with HBO and Starz and hooking the receiver up either through component or HDMI. Apparently there is a few boxes you can choose from, some with component, some of HDMI. Which one do you think I should get? Should I be worried about the lower resolution if I am so used to watching upconverted DVD's on the 360? Thanks!

so I turn the set off and go upstairs to eat and when I come back down, poof, the dvd isnt showing up, and I notice the hd isnt showing at 1080i, but 720p. so basically all I need to know is how to get it back to 1080i...since I dont have a clue how to switch resolutions. and if you have an idea on the dvd thing im all ears, but they're both under warranty still so if worst comes to worst im sure it'll get fixed one way or another.

The TV displays whatever format is sent to it, so you'll have to check the source. Exactly what equipment do you have and how are they cabled to the TV?

bkdg100, It's good to know for sure which pin it is. So how do you take it out? Should I just get in there with some needlenose pliers and give it a solid yank? Should I try to clip it off at the base? Or do I have to try and open the connector somehow? Is there some resource I could look at for more information?

Thanks.

take a pair of needle nose pliers and rotate pin then pull.

here is an issue i'm getting more and more lately,

after a little while with the cable box displaying 480i, the screen will start vibrating and become distorted. if i switch to a different source or to an hd resolution on an hd channel, the picture is fine again even if i go back to the old channel.

not sure if its a problem with the cable or not. i'm running an SA 8300HD box over component cables on my pl4260n
Ocbaud,

I have had the same issue with my set. I have tried everything to fix the issue but have been unsuccessful. I tried new cables, a new receiver, a power regulator and nothing does the trick. Are you running through a receiver with switching? I have an Onkyo that I run my video through and I find if I run directly from my cable box, the problem happens less. The other thing I have done is switched my cable box to Upconvert 1...this changes the 480i to a 480p and the problem seems to go away. You may also want to turn off the 4801 and 480p widescreen options.

Please let me know if you find something else out....I am tired of spending money on new cables and accessories trying to fix the problem.

Ocbaud,

I have had the same issue with my set. I have tried everything to fix the issue but have been unsuccessful. I tried new cables, a new receiver, a power regulator and nothing does the trick. Are you running through a receiver with switching? I have an Onkyo that I run my video through and I find if I run directly from my cable box, the problem happens less. The other thing I have done is switched my cable box to Upconvert 1...this changes the 480i to a 480p and the problem seems to go away. You may also want to turn off the 4801 and 480p widescreen options.

Please let me know if you find something else out....I am tired of spending money on new cables and accessories trying to fix the problem.


i'm running it switched through a yamaha rx-v559 through component, though it did the same thing hooked directly up to the tv.

i have it on upconvert1 right now and i dont have the issue anymore.

I recently redid some wiring and hooked the cable box up to the tv through hdmi, and the optical out on the tv to the receiver. now i get the dreaded HDMI Audio unavailable on my sa8300hd box...

i think i'll go back to component and keep it on upconvert1 for now.

i'm running it switched through a yamaha rx-v559 through component, though it did the same thing hooked directly up to the tv.

i have it on upconvert1 right now and i dont have the issue anymore.

I recently redid some wiring and hooked the cable box up to the tv through hdmi, and the optical out on the tv to the receiver. now i get the dreaded HDMI Audio unavailable on my sa8300hd box...

i think i'll go back to component and keep it on upconvert1 for now.

I am also running component and switching to HDMI but I am bypassing the TV and going directly from the cable box to the receiver via optical for the audio

I am also running component and switching to HDMI but I am bypassing the TV and going directly from the cable box to the receiver via optical for the audio


i'm doing the same cept for coaxial for audio right now.

even with the audio routed through into the receiver from the cable box, i still get the HDMI audio unavaliable on the screen

I've lost track of what exact problem is being discussed, but for the record I'm using component from the Comcast/Motorola 6412 STB to my PL4260N and optical audio to my Pioneer A/V receiver, HDMI from my Sony NS75H DVD player to the TV and digital coax to the AVR, and VGA to the TV and optical audio to the AVR from my Mac Mini, and I have no significant picture/audio problems on any of them. Well, I do have occasional brief dropouts on the audio when watching some HD channels, but I assume that's Comcast.

Doug

Yep the best way is to go video straight from the source to the tv, and audio straight to a receiver.

Bad news for my TV. :( In the last few weeks it began displaying light red and green splotches. It is mainly on faces, but more and more on any area of a high contrast change. Menus have the flashing colors.

I called HP support. A Tech arrived yesterday and worked on it for 7 hours. He replaced literraly every board in the TV and it is still messed up. So they are sending me a new one to arrive soon. We'll see how it goes with that one.

FYI the latest software version they sent is 1.3.5.

^^^^^^

How old is your display??

i'm doing the same cept for coaxial for audio right now.

even with the audio routed through into the receiver from the cable box, i still get the HDMI audio unavaliable on the screen


Hi everyone Iamb new to this forum so please bear with me, I just bought a new 4260 about a week ago and I had the same problem about the HDMI audio unavailable, so with a call to HP I was told that the firmware in the TV for the HDMI needed to be updated so in about 4 days the service tech from HP was here and did the update and It works great now, The service took about 15 minutes, I to thought it was in my decoder box that I have with Verizon Fios.
Hope This Helps

Hi owners....

My manual (identical for 50 and 42's) says:

Cleaning precautions

Unplug the TV before cleaning the screen.

Using solvents, such as alcohol, or abrasive material,
such as a premoistened or chemically treated towel,
may affect the TV or bezel paint.

Do not expose the product to volatile gas or fluid such
as a pesticide.

Do not put the TV in contact with vinyl or rubber
products for a long period of time. Extended contact
may result in the removal of or degradation of the
surface.

So how are you HP owners cleaning your TVs?

I wanted to pick up a "duster" type fluffy thing. But I wonder with all the venting holes , would the static charge these "dusters" rely on for cleaning, be too dangerous?

With all those holes I can see the actual circuitry. Is this too much risk for something like a duster?

What about the screen , what cleaners contain alcohol? I would think a lot of them do right? Windex? SimpleGreen?. Or just a slightly damp paper towel for the display screen itself to play it safe? I find water just smudges most things.

I wanted the duster because I'm thinking hitting it with that a couple of times a week, is better then waiting for noticeable accumulation. But like I said, I'm a little wary of the static involved with them.

Any thoughts, insights, or actual routines would be greatly appreciated.

I suppose the same goes for most plasmas. Except for varying body finishes, which have different properties (ie. flat, piano, chrome), so I posted in this thread rather then starting a new one in an already crowded forum.

So how are we cleaning our particular models?

Hi owners....

My manual (identical for 50 and 42's) says:

Cleaning precautions

Unplug the TV before cleaning the screen.

Using solvents, such as alcohol, or abrasive material,
such as a premoistened or chemically treated towel,
may affect the TV or bezel paint.

Do not expose the product to volatile gas or fluid such
as a pesticide.

Do not put the TV in contact with vinyl or rubber
products for a long period of time. Extended contact
may result in the removal of or degradation of the
surface.

So how are you HP owners cleaning your TVs?

I wanted to pick up a "duster" type fluffy thing. But I wonder with all the venting holes , would the static charge these "dusters" rely on for cleaning, be too dangerous?

With all those holes I can see the actual circuitry. Is this too much risk for something like a duster?

What about the screen , what cleaners contain alcohol? I would think a lot of them do right? Windex? SimpleGreen?. Or just a slightly damp paper towel for the display screen itself to play it safe? I find water just smudges most things.

I wanted the duster because I'm thinking hitting it with that a couple of times a week, is better then waiting for noticeable accumulation. But like I said, I'm a little wary of the static involved with them.

Any thoughts, insights, or actual routines would be greatly appreciated.

I suppose the same goes for most plasmas. Except for varying body finishes, which have different properties (ie. flat, piano, chrome), so I posted in this thread rather then starting a new one in an already crowded forum.

So how are we cleaning our particular models?

I use a microfiber towel. No liquids. I would advise against a paper towel as they can be abrasive.

I use a microfiber towel. No liquids. I would advise against a paper towel as they can be abrasive.

Thanks, glad I asked.

With all those holes I can see the actual circuitry. Is this too much risk for something like a duster?I used a Swiffer duster for three years on my Panasonic plasma display with no problems. About once a year I wiped it with a Bausch and Lomb premoistened eyeglass cleaning wipe.

^^^^^^

How old is your display??

4 months. The new one is being delivered tomorrow.

A quick update...

I bought my PL4260N around 6 months ago without any issue so far.

Yesterday, for the first time ever, it wouldn't power on! The power button light was red and pressing it or using the remote did no effect. It remained red and there was no sign of picture / sound.

I had to unplug the TV and plug it back to solve the issue.

That's scary. :( I was unable to reproduce it but still...

A quick update...

I bought my PL4260N around 6 months ago without any issue so far.

Yesterday, for the first time ever, it wouldn't power on! The power button light was red and pressing it or using the remote did no effect. It remained red and there was no sign of picture / sound.

I had to unplug the TV and plug it back to solve the issue.

That's scary. :( I was unable to reproduce it but still...Do you normally leave it in standby or power off? Maybe you were in standby and you had a power flop in your neighborhood. It didn't know what state it was in.

Do you normally leave it in standby or power off? Maybe you were in standby and you had a power flop in your neighborhood. It didn't know what state it was in.
Standby only but there was no power flop. I guess using the Standby option makes it unstable after a while?

I used a Swiffer duster for three years on my Panasonic plasma display with no problems. About once a year I wiped it with a Bausch and Lomb premoistened eyeglass cleaning wipe.

That's exactly what I was going to buy for a duster. I'll pick up mircotowels and/or some eye glass wipes too.

Thanks.

Replacement TV had broken glass. So on to round 2....

Replacement TV had broken glass. So on to round 2....Man...you are really jinxed. ;)

Hello,
Has anyone expierenced this with their plasma tv? It seems that for some reason or another I noticed on a few occasions when I'm watching a hockey game for example (the ice) or anything that has a white back ground will sometimes show some slight flashing pink color coming through and then it would disapear? This seems to happen on a random basis not all the time but enough for someone to notice that it's happening? Anyone have any clue what would be causing this?
Thanks.

Hello,
Has anyone expierenced this with their plasma tv? It seems that for some reason or another I noticed on a few occasions when I'm watching a hockey game for example (the ice) or anything that has a white back ground will sometimes show some slight flashing pink color coming through and then it would disapear? This seems to happen on a random basis not all the time but enough for someone to notice that it's happening? Anyone have any clue what would be causing this?
Thanks.

You might want to read what I wrote just a few days back....

I think there was a similar report some weeks (months?) back, too...

Doug

Hello,
Has anyone expierenced this with their plasma tv? It seems that for some reason or another I noticed on a few occasions when I'm watching a hockey game for example (the ice) or anything that has a white back ground will sometimes show some slight flashing pink color coming through and then it would disapear? This seems to happen on a random basis not all the time but enough for someone to notice that it's happening? Anyone have any clue what would be causing this?
Thanks.

Yes, I have seen that during NHL games . I was wondering about that. I think it has something to do with the elaborate lighting effects in arenas. Many arenas have a ring of lighting effects just above and below the upper and lower tiers of seating. They have intense movement and special effects. They display advertisements and some times text to encourage the crowd. Often times it displays a very bright ring of a single color. Many times that color is red, creating a pink "glare" on the ice.

I could very well be wrong, but I only see on the ice, and only sporadically. Next time I see it I'm going to try switching to the SD feed to see if I see something similar but less noticeable. That could prove my noobish plasma theory.

I have my settings below 50 across the every value (43 I believe). It's a tad dark in night scenes in movies, but Ok for Hocky, golf, Nascar. So I don't think it's a setting problem since most say higher settings (above 50) can cause certain things.

Is this the post you are talking about to Jorakal?

Bad news for my TV. In the last few weeks it began displaying light red and green splotches. It is mainly on faces, but more and more on any area of a high contrast change. Menus have the flashing colors.

I called HP support. A Tech arrived yesterday and worked on it for 7 hours. He replaced literraly every board in the TV and it is still messed up. So they are sending me a new one to arrive soon. We'll see how it goes with that one.

FYI the latest software version they sent is 1.3.5.

Geez I hope not, this would make it a 3rd HP for me ( the first one came with a nasty vertical line imperfection).

But I don't see it in faces at all. Just on the ice at NHL games in HD.

Last night I did notice during the Network Broadcast of "Paycheck" pixelating in black areas. Not during commercials, but only during the movie itself.

I'm assuming that is for reasons already discussed here, not good, but nothing to worry about, mostly fault of the Networks.

Hello Disfigured,

I'm going to lower my settings a little more and see if that takes care of the problem?

Like I said, it only happens once in a while. I also forgot to mention, that it almost seems to me that it only happens when I first turn on the TV and once the tv has been on (Warmed up) for a little while, I don't see it anymore? Watching a hockey is game is just one prime example? I also noticed this reddish pink anomaly happens when I switch over the my tv's pc input. I see it for a few seconds before it also disappears. Again, this only happens randomly? Any feed back would be appreciated. Thanks guys.

Hello Disfigured,

I'm going to lower my settings a little more and see if that takes care of the problem?

Like I said, it only happens once in a while. I also forgot to mention, that it almost seems to me that it only happens when I first turn on the TV and once the tv has been on (Warmed up) for a little while, I don't see it anymore? Watching a hockey is game is just one prime example? I also noticed this reddish pink anomaly happens when I switch over the my tv's pc input. I see it for a few seconds before it also disappears. Again, this only happens randomly? Any feed back would be appreciated. Thanks guys.

I'll keep an eye on the warmup thing, maybe I'll let the set cool down before a game and see if it's more prevalent. Or keep it warmed up and see if it lessens.

I think the switching between inputs might just be the TV trying to assemble the new source. But I not sure. But hang around in here, there are some people who really know their stuff.

Last night I did notice during the Network Broadcast of "Paycheck" pixelating in black areas. Not during commercials, but only during the movie itself.

I'm assuming that is for reasons already discussed here, not good, but nothing to worry about, mostly fault of the Networks.

Update on this. We had some very torrential rains last night, so I decided to watch the same movie (Paycheck) on the same network (TNTHD) today during clear weather. The picture was much better with only a tiny hint of pixelating in black areas, and only once or twice during the entire hour I watched.

Must have been a combination of the network transmission and the weather.

It must not be like mine. My issue is dramatic. Since they replaced every board in it, they think it might be a bad plasma screen.

Reposted this thread in the parent thread as to drive more visibility.

Thanks

Do you see a pattern - always the same channel, always SD versus HDTV, etc.? Where is this relative to the actual picture content?

Sometimes when I'm watching a specific channel in SD, in addition to the expected "pillars" there's a thin colored line to the left or right of the picture proper. Mine seems to be blue and on the right, unlike your description, but I suspect it's the station or Comcast, not the TV itself.

Doug

Doug, doesn't matter whether its HD or SD or DVD or the setup menus, its there. It doesn't follow the edge of the vertical black bars (pillars) for SD, its actually inside the bars to the left by an inch or so. even with "No Signal" it shows up. So I'm fairly convinced it's not signal related, but TV internal related.

Sounds like it's different from what I'm seeing. Good luck!

Doug

Doug, doesn't matter whether its HD or SD or DVD or the setup menus, its there. It doesn't follow the edge of the vertical black bars (pillars) for SD, its actually inside the bars to the left by an inch or so. even with "No Signal" it shows up. So I'm fairly convinced it's not signal related, but TV internal related.

In this thread is my first post about my first HP PL5060n (couldn't find it).

My first HP PL5060n came with a 1/8th" vertical red/lime green line about 1/4 of the way from the left traversing the entire screen , bootup, DVD, SAT, you name it, it was there.

During my first phone call to the location of purchase (BB), they were adamant about replacing the entire TV (to my relief).

There wasn't the hint of repair or replacement of any electronics. I got about 3/4's of my way through the description of the problem and they said:

"Bad Screen, bring it back for a replacement, it happens"

This was the very same day I set it up, and just a few days after X-mas. Not to mention they may not do service as a part of their warranty process.

I'm not crazy about BB after the purchase of this TV so take it for what it's worth. But they seemed to think the fastest easiest (and I'm sure least expensive for them) method to resolve my problem was to replace the entire TV.

It could have been the Xmas rush, or the fact they don't deal with repair work in the first 30-90 day warranty period. Or it could be what you suspect that it's a problem because it's in the screen itself, and there is on circuitry troubleshoot/repair for it.

Good Luck.

I am running an SA 8300HD box over a HDMI cable on my pl4260n which I have removed the speakers. I am running my audio through my home theater system via a digital optical cable and my box is set to Dolby Digital out. The sound and picture are great but my problem is the blue box that periodically appears telling me my HDMI audio is unavailable. Is there a way to turn this feature off? :rolleyes:

Thanks for your help....

I am running an SA 8300HD box over a HDMI cable on my pl4260n which I have removed the speakers. I am running my audio through my home theater system via a digital optical cable and my box is set to Dolby Digital out. The sound and picture are great but my problem is the blue box that periodically appears telling me my HDMI audio is unavailable. Is there a way to turn this feature off? :rolleyes:

Thanks for your help....
I checked in "Menu" and found no fix for your problem, however, there might be a fix in the "Set-up Wizard". My solution is to use Component instead of HDMI. I think there is a firmware fix for this, but that would require a service call.

I was just told by HP that this message is coming from the cable box? Does anyone know if that is correct?

I was just told by HP that this message is coming from the cable box? Does anyone know if that is correct?One would have to assume that an HP engineer would know if that message was in their code or not. I have the exact same setup (no speakers, optical audio and HDMI) but I've never seen that message.

I am running an SA 8300HD box over a HDMI cable on my pl4260n which I have removed the speakers. I am running my audio through my home theater system via a digital optical cable and my box is set to Dolby Digital out. The sound and picture are great but my problem is the blue box that periodically appears telling me my HDMI audio is unavailable. Is there a way to turn this feature off? :rolleyes:

Thanks for your help....

I use an SA 8300HD DVR box with HDMI, do not use the speakers and also get the message periodically. It happens when the TV comes up after the cable box. You just need to turn off the cable box and back on to fix it. Since I use sounds from my receiver, I just ignore it.

Also I have my TV on fast turn on. If you have it on slow turn on then it can take 20 seconds for it to come up before turning on the cable box.

h**p://ultimateavmag.com/flatpaneldisplays/207hp5060/

** = tt

for those that like to read pro opinions....

Hi all,

I am seriously considering purchasing this unit (the Panny 600 is also in the running) and was just wondering how the quality of standard DVD video/movies measures up, in your opinions. :)

Thanks

Hi all,

I am seriously considering purchasing this unit (the Panny 600 is also in the running) and was just wondering how the quality of standard DVD video/movies measures up, in your opinions. :)

ThanksAverage. Actually DVDs were better on my 42" Panny ED plasma than they are on my HP 50" HD plasma but then the ED plasma was smaller and closer to its native resolution. You can buy these for a whole lot less than a Panasonic though. If price is not object....go with the Panny. The difference is not worth hundreds of dollars in my opinion.

Yeah, that's the thing...

I can get the 600u or the PL4260N at the same price (pretty nicely discounted) at local B&M stores - wife likes the aesthetics of the HP alot more than Panny, but I (the sane one) see everything else, heh :)

Yeah, that's the thing...

I can get the 600u or the PL4260N at the same price (pretty nicely discounted) at local B&M stores - wife likes the aesthetics of the HP alot more than Panny, but I (the sane one) see everything else, heh :)I feel her pain. I wanted another Panny but refused to have a silver monstrosity in my living room. Silver is for labs and classrooms IMO.

I feel her pain. I wanted another Panny but refused to have a silver monstrosity in my living room. Silver is for labs and classrooms IMO.

Or D* customers. :D I had my HP in the bedroom with a silver D* box and I had a silver faceplate on my 360, so it would have been a nice match. Now the HP is in the living room with the original Xbox and D* box and silver DVD player, on a stand that's got black shelfs and silver legs. :) Can't win...

Deezul

I use an SA 8300HD DVR box with HDMI, do not use the speakers and also get the message periodically. It happens when the TV comes up after the cable box. You just need to turn off the cable box and back on to fix it. Since I use sounds from my receiver, I just ignore it.

Also I have my TV on fast turn on. If you have it on slow turn on then it can take 20 seconds for it to come up before turning on the cable box.

The TV is probably displaying the message because it can't sync or find the audio portion of the signal coming over HDMI....most likely a STB issue. To help eliminate this, check if you can change "HDMI digital audio output options" from the STB configuration menu (sorry I am not sure how to get into it on this box). Look for a way to force PCM digital output rather than "auto" or anything else as this and most TVs do not accept Dolby Digital over HDMI. If there is no digital audio on HDMI, then the TV will most likely continue to display that when selecting HDMI as the input or when the TV and STB sync.

Good Luck...

The TV is probably displaying the message because it can't sync or find the audio portion of the signal coming over HDMI....most likely a STB issue. To help eliminate this, check if you can change "HDMI digital audio output options" from the STB configuration menu (sorry I am not sure how to get into it on this box). Look for a way to force PCM digital output rather than "auto" or anything else as this and most TVs do not accept Dolby Digital over HDMI. If there is no digital audio on HDMI, then the TV will most likely continue to display that when selecting HDMI as the input or when the TV and STB sync.

Good Luck...

Hi everyone Iamb new to this forum so please bear with me, I just bought a new 4260 about a week ago and I had the same problem about the HDMI audio unavailable, so with a call to HP I was told that the firmware in the TV for the HDMI needed to be updated so in about 4 days the service tech from HP was here and did the update and It works great now, The service took about 15 minutes, I to thought it was in my decoder box that I have with Verizon Fios.
Hope This Helps

I just bought the PL5060N at Compusa , do a search on their website for the price. This will be my first plasma and I wasn't sure about this model at first but the generally good reviews and the super low price convinced me. Now while I'm waiting for it to be delivered next week I'll see if I can go thru all 50 pages in this thread!

I purchased the HP PL4260N two weeks ago, along with an Onkyo TX-SR674, Motorola DCT 6416 III (Firmware v12.31) and Sony DVP NC85H/B 5 DVD Changer.

The STB and DVD Player were connected via HDMI cables to the receiver, the HDMI out from the receiver connected to the HDMI in of the TV. Everything was great for those 2 weeks. Two nights ago, I received the "No Signal" message on the TV. I tried a variety of troubleshooting options including the following:
1) Connected HDMI cable directly to the TV from the DVD player
2) Connected HDMI cable directly to the TV from the STB
3) Connected Component cables to the component input of the receiver, then upconverted the signal to HDMI output of the receiver
4) Bought & used (2) new HDMI cables just in case the old ones had shorts in them.

None of the above steps worked so I exchanged the TV for the exact same model at Circuit City and took the Receiver and the DVD player over to a local AV repair shop (Pieratts, if any of you have heard of them) where a technician verified that the HDMI inputs and outputs of the receiver and the DVD player were not working. I exchanged the receiver and the DVD Player at Pieratts and Circuit City and returned home with all new components only to find that I was experiencing the exact same problem all over again!

Othe notes: The component I/O on all devices work fine and I have gone through the first 3 troubleshooting steps listed above.
The technician at Pieratts connected his on DVD player, STB and LG LCD TV with my HDMI cables while I watched.
The only thing I can think of that I did differently was on the orignal TV, I had plugged the CATV directly in to the TV for the Wizard so I could check out the ATSC tuner but disconnected it later to use the STB from Motorola.

I don't know what else I can do. Please help if you can!!!
Thank you!

I just purchased the 42" plasma HP and the PQ is ok but I only have the normal RCAs hooked up to it and dont have a HD cable box yet.
Should I be running a HDMI cable when I get the HD cable box?

I just purchased the 42" plasma HP and the PQ is ok but I only have the normal RCAs hooked up to it and dont have a HD cable box yet.
Should I be running a HDMI cable when I get the HD cable box?

You need to see what type of connections your Cable Box (STB) supports. You may want to give your Cable provider a call to find out what they are bringing to you house, then do some research at the STB manufacturer's website or Google to see what connections are available on it's rear panel. If HDMI is on the STB, then HDMI is the highest quality option available to you.

I just got off the phone with HP's tech support. As I patched and unpatched the component and HDMI cables from the TV's input panel, I noticed that it had a short in it. I tapped on the panel, then the picture and audio came in over the HDMI input. It is still working so I am not going to touch it! HP is sending a tech out to replace the input panel.
The CSR also said some other very interesting things:

1) The CSR I spoke to told me that the HDMI input does not work with input device refresh rates over 24 Hz! Once my HDMI connection started working, it reported the usual 60 Hz refresh rate. When I told the CSR about that, he was very surprised. Go figure...

2) He strongly recommended that end users switch the TV's standby mode to Fast Power to prevent the HP Logo from burning in to the screen over time.

3) He acknowledged that there was a known issue with Motorola's STB's and the HDMI Audio and recommended end users to have atech come out to resolve the issue (I've seen others in this forum state this as well).

I am new to Plasma TVs which is why I have sought out this forum. I appreciate any suggestions and opinons you all have regarding this issue and this CSR's recommendations.

One other question (to anyone still reading this post): A neighbor told me that Plasma TVs cannot be laid or stored horizontally. Is this true?

2) He strongly recommended that end users switch the TV's standby mode to Fast Power to prevent the HP Logo from burning in to the screen over time.


Anyone else find this stupid? "You can choose to save your screen or save electricity." I recently switched mine to Fast power because I moved the TV to a room where I turned it on and off more frequently than before but I'm glad to know I'm now saving the screen.

Or HP could stop showing the HP start up screen and just show nothing! But that's crazy talk? TVs have never just "come on" when you turn them on. Oh wait...

Deezul

FYI the replacement TV has been here since Friday and working properly.

Anyone else find this stupid?

Yes

Also Plasmas can be laid down flat as long as they are on a solid, flat, non-moving surface.

I just purchased the 42" plasma HP and the PQ is ok but I only have the normal RCAs hooked up to it and dont have a HD cable box yet.
Should I be running a HDMI cable when I get the HD cable box?

You should be prepared to test your connections with HDMI and component cables to see which one will have the better picture.

I purchased the HP PL4260N two weeks ago, along with an Onkyo TX-SR674, Motorola DCT 6416 III (Firmware v12.31) and Sony DVP NC85H/B 5 DVD Changer.

The STB and DVD Player were connected via HDMI cables to the receiver, the HDMI out from the receiver connected to the HDMI in of the TV. Everything was great for those 2 weeks. Two nights ago, I received the "No Signal" message on the TV.

You have HDMI going to your receiver. Is the sound playing correctly for the STB and DVD? Is the video output of the HDMI from the receiver to the TV working properly? If so then just ignore the message.

What version software is your TV? Mine is 1.8.1. I have seen 1.3.5. Both actually gave me the HDMI sound not available message if the TV was turned on after the HDMI device.

EDIT: Oh I just reread your message. You are getting a no signal. Does this mean no picture at all?