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?


Thank you for your assistance:
I was getting no picture at all, (either directly connected or through the receiver to the TV) with the original TV and the second TV (which I have now).

Both TVs have software version 1.3.5

After I exchanged all of the components, I still had the same problem until I started tapping on the input panel of the TV and discovered the short. At the moment, HDMI is working when I directly connect to the TV (Video and Audio).

When I connect through my receiver, I loose the HDMI picture and Audio at the TV but the audio passes through the receiver. I still have a couple of tests I am going to try this evening.

BTW, HP is going to send out a technician once parts are available (they are on backorder)

Also, I think HP should remove the Logo on initialization as well. End users should not be penalized for this. We all know it's an HP TV because of the logo on the front panel.

Hmmmm....... no signal.

I just went through something similar.

I had recorded WestSide Story off an HD channel. I was curious to see how my Collectors Edition DVD of the same looked in comparison.

Only to find out that all my S-Video inputs were dead. I hooked up Component (3 colors R,B.G) from the DVD player and those worked. I tried the other S-Video input (2), and that didn't work either. Also tried another S-video cable that I know worked, still nothing.

While switching back and forth betweento the Component input and the S-Video on the DVD player, I was able to check ever setting on in the DVD players menus. Progressive Scan modes, TV type (4:3, 16:9) etc etc. I found no options on the DVD player that made the S-Video input display anything other then "no signal". Powered the TV up and down a few times.

My last resort was to completely unplug the TV itself. That did the trick, my S-Video inputs began to work right after a complete (unplugging) power down.

Should I be concerned about this little "problem"?

This TV was affordable and I love the picture , but it seems to have a lot of little quirks.

On a related note:

After all this I noticed my DVD player only outputs in 480i/480p, or so that's what the HP says. This is my DVD player:

JVC Sv-S502 (http://www.110220volts.com/Electronics/jvc_XV-S502_code_free_dvd_player.htm)

Sorry for the link, but it's the only one I could find that had specs for it ;-).

Should I ditch this thing and get something that outputs in a higher resolutions? I mean DVDs on it look great from what I can tell. Or is the TV doing some sort of "upconverting" or "assembling" of the picture that I'm not savvy about ?

What am I missing by veiwing DVDs at 480 rather then 720 or 1080i? For the cost of something better which isn't much these days, is the jump to 720 worth it?

Sorry for what is probably a massacre of the nomenclature, but I think you guys know what I mean. Basically, is my DVD player too old for my new HP plasma?

Should I ditch this thing and get something that outputs in a higher resolutions? I mean DVDs on it look great from what I can tell. Or is the TV doing some sort of "upconverting" or "assembling" of the picture that I'm not savvy about ?

I view my DVD's at 480p which is how they were designed. They look great on my TV. There are numerous discussions about your same question. Many people say not worth it. Some say it is worth it to upconvert them. IMO if you have someone with an upconverting DVD player that you can test, then go for it. Otherwise it is not worth the money for me to buy one when I already have a DVD player that works great at 480p.

The right answer in any upconverting discussion will depend on the exact hardware in the loop. In any given setup, it might be that the TV, the DVD player (or STB or some other video source), the A/V receiver, a video processor, or whatever does "the best" job of upconversion. In general you want only ONE component in the loop doing conversion, too; you don't want multiple conversions to occur if they can be avoided.

Doug

Does anybody out there own the 42 and the 50? I've heard that the 50 is not as bright and PQ not as good as the 42. I've had my HP for about a year now and I am still in love with it. I just put it on the wall in my new house and its perfect. Definitely one of the best investments I've made in the last couple years. The 42 is in my living room and I want to replace that with the 50 and put the 42 in my bedroom. Mainly because my Sharp Aquos started making some fan noise after I mounted on the wall. It always was a little noticeable, but once I put it on a wall in a room with vaulted ceilings I have to keep the volume up so I don't hear the TV (very annoying) Also the builders installed an awesome in ceiling surround sound system in my bedroom and it deserves much more than the 30'' screen thats in there.

Also I was in BB the other day and the guy told me that the New HP's will be in soon, Anybody hear anything? Or was the kid at BB just misinformed. Hopefully it's true and I'll be able to pick up a PL5060 at a clearance price. Even if the new screen coming is a little better I'd rather have the old one just to match my 42. One HDMI input still blows but with switchers getting cheaper and better by the day, who cares.

I'll try to post some pics tonight because the set up I made is pretty cool. I actually converted a buffet table to hold my AV equiptment mainly because it has sliding doors and I have a 7 month old thats starting to get into everything plus it was the only piece tall enough to go under the TV because it's in a pretty large room with very high ceilings so the TV is mounted a little high. I'll try and gets the pics in just to give people ideas.

Sorry I keep going on but it's been awhile since I posted. I just wanted to give my opinion on the MonoPrice universal mounts (the cheap ones) They're awesome. Super easy to figure out, come with everything possible screw you could need and very easy to adjust. I've become a part time flat screen installer (not my choice) and I am a moron at any kind of do it yourself work. I've done 2 TV in my house, 2 in my father-n-laws and 2 friends screens all with this mount. All different makes and sizes (30" to 50") and everything I needed was in the box. The only TV thats not slightly right is my Sharp and thats because it's the 30 screen they made, I bought this TV in the beginning of 02, and the only mount thats made for it is like 400 to 500 if you can find it because the holes for the mount are really close together in the middle of the back of the TV and they're right next to the fan so the mount hooks basically block the fan slightly. But it works and it serves it's purpose plus my total install costs incl beer and pizza for my buddy was 150 bucks for TWO TV's. You don't want to know what the Magnolia Installers wanted for the same job. (BB's high end and install unit, if you didn't know).

Anyway this forum has not only educated me but has probably saved me a few grand on top it. Thanks for all the help.

Shawn

I view my DVD's at 480p which is how they were designed. They look great on my TV. There are numerous discussions about your same question. Many people say not worth it. Some say it is worth it to upconvert them. IMO if you have someone with an upconverting DVD player that you can test, then go for it. Otherwise it is not worth the money for me to buy one when I already have a DVD player that works great at 480p.

I think I'm happy with the current set up. It's not as if I was disappointed with the DVD's display on the HP. In fact quite the opposite, so I think I'm just getting wrapped up in the numbers.

Glad to hear you second TV is doing fine. We've both had two, but I still think it's been worth it.

The right answer in any upconverting discussion will depend on the exact hardware in the loop. In any given setup, it might be that the TV, the DVD player (or STB or some other video source), the A/V receiver, a video processor, or whatever does "the best" job of upconversion. In general you want only ONE component in the loop doing conversion, too; you don't want multiple conversions to occur if they can be avoided.

It would only be one source, I'm not into running anything through an AV receiver never have been. I simply monitor Audio via it's inputs from other sources. The Video from my DVD and STB go directly into the TV itself. As would a new upconverting DVD player.

But if I do decide to try one (upconverting DVD player), do they need HDMI to perform at their best? Because I'm currently using the one HDMI for my STB, because it seems (ever so slightly) to be a better picture and switching channels seems a tad faster. Although it wouldn't be heart broken if I had to use the RBG's for the STB.

Thanks.

But if I do decide to try one (upconverting DVD player), do they need HDMI to perform at their best? Because I'm currently using the one HDMI for my STB, because it seems (ever so slightly) to be a better picture and switching channels seems a tad faster. Although it wouldn't be heart broken if I had to use the RBG's for the STB.

Thanks.

Most of the upconverting DVD players I have seen, only send the upconverted signal through the HDMI out. So you'd have to look up the manual and check it out.

I think the question of whether HDMI is better than component is only answerable by testing. Some people report that their STB is much better with HDMI than component, and some report the exact opposite. In my case, STB appears to be better with component, and that frees up the HDMI port for my Sony NS75H which only up-converts via HDMI.

If you're happy with the DVD quality you have now, there's no great need to rush out and buy a new up-converting one.

Doug

I remember reading an old post about how the ice on hockey games had an odd tinge to it in certain areas. (yellow or pinkinsh)

I recently noticed this on a episode of "Heroes" that had Black and White flashback scenes and had an odd yellow tinge over certain areas of the picture. I played the disk on my PC to make sure it wasnt supposed to be there and it was clean.

Any ideas what causes this or how to correct it?

I remember reading an old post about how the ice on hockey games had an odd tinge to it in certain areas. (yellow or pinkinsh)

I recently noticed this on a episode of "Heroes" that had Black and White flashback scenes and had an odd yellow tinge over certain areas of the picture. I played the disk on my PC to make sure it wasnt supposed to be there and it was clean.

Any ideas what causes this or how to correct it?

Even with my old CRT, certain feeds for hockey games could have bad glare (white glare), it's been issue with some cameras in some rinks for years. I forget which was worse when I had cable, the box feed or the TV tuner, but one was distinctly more "glaring" then the other. I think since I switched to DirecTV Sat, I haven't had that particular problem. That means it might have been the "raw" cable feed tuned in by my TV's cable ready tuner. If you have the ability to "split" your cable feed and use the HPs tuner, then I'd try that if you get bad glare in NHL games. One might be better then the other. I know that was the case for my CRT when I had cable.

For my new HP in HD.........

I'll swear that for hockey games it's the extensive light displays they use. Was watching the Toronto Maple Leafs game and the "glare" was that distinct Leaf's Blue. But just occasionally when the band of lights separating the seating was displaying the team colors. Infact during a recent Bruins game when the glare was pink, I caught a shot of the stands and they were displaying a very intense red "cheer" type logo. It's not bad on my end, and it may very well be what is seen live at the games.

I've never seen the same type of glare on other programing.

It's my hunch that it's the lighting effects in some rinks the HD cameras are picking up. Or so it seems on my end.

I got mine [EDIT] my local BB price matched C-USA. Will be delivered on Wednesday. Anyone know of a good articulating mount? Is there anyting I should do on the first 200 hours? Settings, etc,...

i've had a 42" HP plasma now for about 3 months. Lately while watching tv or playing a game the screen has random rainbow colors quickly and slightly come through. When it comes through it usually has an old image or words in it. Usually if i can read the image or see what it is i can tell that it is something that hasn't on the tv for long. if any of you could help me i'd really appreciate it. i hope it's something that is an easy fix because this is my second tv. the first one died a day after i got it. thank you in advance.

Hello there,

I have just picked up the 50" from BB and got it at a great price of + $50 delivery. I have it on a solid oak Coffee table as I decide whether or not to wall mount the sucker. As this is my first plasma, and my first HDTV I opted for a HDTV receiver with HDTV package from my local cable provider and so far so good. The Image on standard digi cable is OK but the HDTV channels are pretty fantastic. I was given all channels for 24 hours and watched some movies on the movie channels which looks really clear.

Now some mixed thoughts:

The sound levels from the attached ears is pretty low and I am looking into a good home theatre package to overcome this limitation.

When I was installing the screen to the stand, the screw hole on the left hand side was not perfectly alligned so I had the really screw it into the unit.

I hear a pretty clear but faint buzzing from the back of the unit when it is on. This is not from the speakers. This is especially clear when the screen is showing white images and at night. I about 10-12 feet away from the screen and I can hear this buzzing or humming from that distance. I bought the screen signt unseen and have yet to pop into BB to see if I can hear anything from the display screens there. Let me restate that the picture is great but this is something that is making me feel uncertain.

Did any of you experience this problem and does anyone have any suggestions. I would love to hear your opinions on this.

Thanks

i've had a 42" HP plasma now for about 3 months. Lately while watching tv or playing a game the screen has random rainbow colors quickly and slightly come through. When it comes through it usually has an old image or words in it. Usually if i can read the image or see what it is i can tell that it is something that hasn't on the tv for long. if any of you could help me i'd really appreciate it. i hope it's something that is an easy fix because this is my second tv. the first one died a day after i got it. thank you in advance.

Call HP support. That is how my issue started and ended with HP replacing it.

When I was installing the screen to the stand, the screw hole on the left hand side was not perfectly alligned so I had the really screw it into the unit.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. The way the stand and TV are designed the screws are only there to keep the stand from falling out if you lift the TV up. They're not structural in any way, not that I could tell. I've had 2 of these TVs and transported and set them both up my self. The first one had a flaw and needed to be returned. Setting up the second one I was a bit careless and didn't put in the screws right off. The TV was perfectly stable till I realized what I had done.

The only draw back could be that the stand is slightly crooked.

I did notice when setting it up that the inserts of the stand the receiving "holes" in the TV are conical shaped with flat sides, sort of like very steep pyramids. Both have to be slid down simultaneously in order for them both to seat to the very bottom.

It might just be a matter of detaching the stand and reattaching it with this in mind. Then the hole may line up.

I hear a pretty clear but faint buzzing from the back of the unit when it is on. This is not from the speakers. This is especially clear when the screen is showing white images and at night. I about 10-12 feet away from the screen and I can hear this buzzing or humming from that distance. I bought the screen signt unseen and have yet to pop into BB to see if I can hear anything from the display screens there. Let me restate that the picture is great but this is something that is making me feel uncertain.

I believe your apprehension is justified. I'm not nearly the expert that some people are on this forum this is also my first Plasma and HD TV but.........

My TV is for the most part completely silent unless one puts his/her ear right up to the vent holes in the rear, and even then it's only the very faint sound all electronic devices give off, even those with no real "moving" parts.

I'd look into this further and right away before any store warranty is up. 30, 60, 90 days what ever they give you, it will be a lot easier to exchange the TV within that time frame then waiting. If that's what ends up being necessary to correct the problem . My first TV had a lime green line in it, and was flawed. It was the first day from the time I plugged it in. BB was very good and just had me get it to the store of purchase the day they had my replacement. But it was well within the first and most extensive coverage period. If it had been beyond that and into an extended warranty period, it might not have been the same. Personally I'd rather have a brand new set then a extensively worked on one, to solve a problem. If possible.

Good Luck with your TV.

I just got this tv from Best Buy, when I got it home I got it all set up and there was no sound !! I checked everything I could think of and still nothing, so I hooked up an old reciever that I had and got sound through it. We thought maybe the detachable speakers were bad so after not getting any satisfation from the 888 best buy number (we paid the $250 for the 4 year in home service contract, when we called they stated they didn't have anyone who serviced HP in my area... imagine that) So I called the store and they just had me bring in the speakers to exchange them for another set from another Tv. Well the speakers worked on thier floor model so they think something is wrong with the speaker jacks from the factory... Long story short, we took the whole tv in and exchanged it for another of the same model... got that one home and it works great, great picture decent sound. Even though we had problems with the first one I'd still buy another, looks like it's a nice tv for the money with great picture and clarity.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. The way the stand and TV are designed the screws are only there to keep the stand from falling out if you lift the TV up. They're not structural in any way, not that I could tell. I've had 2 of these TVs and transported and set them both up my self. The first one had a flaw and needed to be returned. Setting up the second one I was a bit careless and didn't put in the screws right off. The TV was perfectly stable till I realized what I had done.

The only draw back could be that the stand is slightly crooked.

I did notice when setting it up that the inserts of the stand the receiving "holes" in the TV are conical shaped with flat sides, sort of like very steep pyramids. Both have to be slid down simultaneously in order for them both to seat to the very bottom.

It might just be a matter of detaching the stand and reattaching it with this in mind. Then the hole may line up.



I believe your apprehension is justified. I'm not nearly the expert that some people are on this forum this is also my first Plasma and HD TV but.........

My TV is for the most part completely silent unless one puts his/her ear right up to the vent holes in the rear, and even then it's only the very faint sound all electronic devices give off, even those with no real "moving" parts.

I'd look into this further and right away before any store warranty is up. 30, 60, 90 days what ever they give you, it will be a lot easier to exchange the TV within that time frame then waiting. If that's what ends up being necessary to correct the problem . My first TV had a lime green line in it, and was flawed. It was the first day from the time I plugged it in. BB was very good and just had me get it to the store of purchase the day they had my replacement. But it was well within the first and most extensive coverage period. If it had been beyond that and into an extended warranty period, it might not have been the same. Personally I'd rather have a brand new set then a extensively worked on one, to solve a problem. If possible.

Good Luck with your TV.

The first one I had that had a problem with the sound had a very distinctive buzzing sound coming from the back of the tv also... The new one that I got I haven't noticed any buzzing coming from the back of it at all. I'd have that checked out, I'm not real familar with these plasmas yet but when I heard mine doing that I knew it wasn't right and once I got the new one it doesn't make any noise.

The first one I had that had a problem with the sound had a very distinctive buzzing sound coming from the back of the tv also... The new one that I got I haven't noticed any buzzing coming from the back of it at all. I'd have that checked out, I'm not real familar with these plasmas yet but when I heard mine doing that I knew it wasn't right and once I got the new one it doesn't make any noise.

I agree. If a tv buzzes then have it fixed or replaced. AVS forum has postings of this on all kinds of tv's.

Has anyone had their first HP TV be the "right" one?

I think the price is worth the hassle, but boy it seems like a lot of them are going back.

I thought it was the right one for two weeks. Last Sunday morning, pushed the power button and nothing happened. Unplugged the TV for a few minutes and tried again, the power came on, could tell by the light on front turning blue, then click, turned itself off. A call to HP support and they thought the video circuit board was shot. Scheduled a service call for today. Got a call yesterday telling me that the part was backordered and they didn't know when one would be available.

I like the TV, it seems like a great value. The speakers are a bit large but I like the sound of them over TVs with hidden speakers that seem to be on almost every new set. The look of the picture seems to my eye to compare favorably with most other TVs out there. It may not be perfect but then it didn't cost Pioneer money.:)

I'm not sure what to do. I hate to wait too long to get it fixed. I am still inside the 30 day CC return window. On the one hand this TV had no problems like stuck pixels in it's favor. A new board should make it at least as good as new, maybe better. On the other hand, if I take it back I'll be watching TV tomorrow night, not at some undetermined time in the future. Anybody care to offer advice?

Has anyone had their first HP TV be the "right" one?

I think the price is worth the hassle, but boy it seems like a lot of them are going back.
I've had mine since September with nary a problem. Remember, you tend to hear about sets with issues, not about sets that "just work".

Doug

so far so good for me as well - granted it's been barely a month, but not one complaint here.

I've had mine since September with nary a problem. Remember, you tend to hear about sets with issues, not about sets that "just work".

Doug

So true so true, if you went by any computer forum ever created you'd swear there wasn't a piece of hardware ever manufactured that wasn't defective.

Has anyone had their first HP TV be the "right" one?


Yes, me.

I also have buzzing on my 50"
Is there a known fix to the buzzing problem a lot of people are having? Has anyone had any success with HP repair fixing this? .

Has anyone mounted one of these on an articulating mount? If so, which one and please rate it...

There seems to be a zillion of these out there but some of the reviews say to stay away from certain models...

I'd like to get a high quality articulating mount for a wall that sits 90 degrees from my couch. I would like to pull out the TV from the wall and swivel towards the couch for viewing.....I have windows behind the couch that create too much reflection during daylight on the adjacent wall...plus the wife wants it mounted on this wall so......

Has anyone had their first HP TV be the "right" one?

I think the price is worth the hassle, but boy it seems like a lot of them are going back.
I've had mine since May 06, it has been just fine.

I've had mine since May 06, it has been just fine.

Same here, very happy with my PL4260N :)

Has anyone had their first HP TV be the "right" one?

I think the price is worth the hassle, but boy it seems like a lot of them are going back.


I have had mine since july and its been flawless !!!! Knock on Wood !!!!

Now that I have some more HD channels I've got to say I'm loving this TV even more. Did any of you watch the Planet Earth series last Sunday on Discovery HD? WOW!! First of all the show was awesome, but on HD is was amazing. I was able to change my settings to vivid because I am way past breakin period. I had forgotten all about the lower settings I had. But when this show came on I played around with it a bit and the colors were just awesome. If any of you have any doubts about this tv check it out tonight. I wish all the shows out there were HD.

I have had no problems with my PL4260 since I got it in July, until this weekend when the audio started to have a "buzz" to it and then the audio went away completely. As a test I ran the DVD through the component inputs and it worked fine, then my STB through the same components, and it was fine too (except the colors sucked and volume was low, but that's a different story.) I have no way of testing to see if it's my cable box, HDMI cable, or the HDMI input on the TV that is the problem, unless I go out and buy a new cable and/or an upconverting DVD player. Has anyone else experienced this? By the way, no stereo, all directly connected to the TV and the TV output connected to my subwoofer.

hi,

i received my PL5060n last week and the PQ of this set is ........WOW
but one thing doesnt work

when i connect my Xbox 360 with vga cable

i dont see anything on screen, just black screen

but the tv detect my x360

i change the resolution in the xbox to all resolution available, include 1366x768
and the screen still black

when i put 640x480 the set detect and goes to 640x480@60hz but still black
if i put 1280x720, the set detect 720p but still black
the set detect 1080i@60hz and 1366x768@60hz but still black screen

if i power off the xbox360, the set turn blue and "no signal" screen appear

do you have any idea?

do you have the same issue?

if not and you are connected with Xbox 360, wich cable do you use?
MS or third party?



thanks for your help

Has anyone had their first HP TV be the "right" one? Me as well, I've had mine for almost a year now.

Boxing Day 2006 Still happy but need the HDMI Audio Fix. HP was supposed to call me back and I have since forgot.

I just got my HP PL5060N last week. I love the picture it tthrows. My question is when I set the brightness and contrast settings on one channel, does that automatically sets the same B&C on all the other channels. I am only using rabbitt ears until my D*TV gets here next week. I set up the B&C to 20 and 21 on CBS and ABC still has the out of the box settings. I have the 30day return with BB. Any help would be appreciated.

By the way, is there a way to tell how many hours the panel has been on?

Hello, new to this thread and I have a question regarding hooking my laptop to my HP PL4260N.

I'm getting the MLB.tv internet package so I can watch out-of-market games (thanks to DirectTV, I have to resort to internet streaming). Anyways, I'd still prefer to watch the games "on television". I understand that the VGA cable is needed to hookup the HDTV as a monitor... what in the world do I use for an audio input?

any advice would e greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hello, new to this thread and I have a question regarding hooking my laptop to my HP PL4260N.

I'm getting the MLB.tv internet package so I can watch out-of-market games (thanks to DirectTV, I have to resort to internet streaming). Anyways, I'd still prefer to watch the games "on television". I understand that the VGA cable is needed to hookup the HDTV as a monitor... what in the world do I use for an audio input?

any advice would e greatly appreciated. Thank you!
I think you need a Video card so you can use the DVI out on it, you would then need a DVI-I to HDMI cable, I have been thinking of trying this on my 4260. By the way, welcome to AVS..
Dan

Hello everyone, longtime reader here, first time poster. Just pulled the trigger today on an HP 5060 for what I thought was an awesome price--I mean really oddly and strangely cheap, actually, but I couldn't pass it up--the seller seems to have a good rep, and I guess they're trying to clear out old inventory for the new model. Probably won't get it until Friday or Monday. I'm optimistic, but dread the thought of having to send to send it back if there's anything wrong. My quick question (for now)--probably been covered, but I can't seem to find it: for the immediate future I will be limited to Standard Def TV on my Dish Network setup (will be upgrading to HD later on this year), but will the TV zoom the picture to eliminate bars on the side even with an old fashioned RF input? Does it look weirdly distorted, or can you live with it? Are there any other pitfalls I should be aware of regarding SD? I'm assuming that constant black bars on the sides will cause damage.

I'm really looking forward to this thing--we watch a lot of movies, and coming from a 32" 4:3 on which 2.35 aspect looks downright tiny across the room, I'm thinking it ought to look pretty impressive.

Giari, That might be a hard question to answer since hardly anyone would be using RF connections. What Dish receiver do you have, and does it have an aspect ratio adjustment? The HP has a few aspect ratio selections, probably one will work for you. You need to get a Dish VIP-622 along with HD programming, then you will be in 7th heaven. it will change the way you watch tv. Welcome to AVS.

dirtydan, it's a dish 322. No aspect ratio adjustment. And you got it, Dish 622 is what I want, really looking forward to that, too. I surely don't intend to ruin the set if I can't zoom an RF SD picture....it'll just push forward our acquisition of HD from Dish Network--not a problem. Thanks for the response. I was glad to find this great resource here at AVS.

I think you will find that the "Zoom1, or Zoom2" will fill your screen, might not be perfect, but it will do until you up-grade.

I think you need a Video card so you can use the DVI out on it, you would then need a DVI-I to HDMI cable, I have been thinking of trying this on my 4260. By the way, welcome to AVS..
Dan

You're right. I've got a DVI output on my laptop. Whenever I get time to run to the store and buy what I need, I'll come back if I have any questions.

Thanks again for the help!

You're right. I've got a DVI output on my laptop. Whenever I get time to run to the store and buy what I need, I'll come back if I have any questions.

Thanks again for the help!
I'll be the one with the questions if you beat me doing this. If your not in a hurry, go to monoprice.com for a cable, don't get an adapter, the straight cable with DVI-I to HDMI is what you want.

My quick question (for now)--probably been covered, but I can't seem to find it: for the immediate future I will be limited to Standard Def TV on my Dish Network setup (will be upgrading to HD later on this year), but will the TV zoom the picture to eliminate bars on the side even with an old fashioned RF input? Does it look weirdly distorted, or can you live with it? Are there any other pitfalls I should be aware of regarding SD? I'm assuming that constant black bars on the sides will cause damage.

You can stretch a 4:3 SD input by putting the TV on 16:9. It really depends on how the signal is getting to the TV though, so how does your current Dish Network box get the signal to the TV? Coax cable? Composite (Yellow RCA usually)? Svideo?

I'll be the one with the questions if you beat me doing this. If your not in a hurry, go to momoprice.com for a cable, don't get an adapter, the straight cable with DVI-I to HDMI is what you want.

I think you mean monoprice.com. :)

I just got my HP PL5060N last week. I love the picture it tthrows. My question is when I set the brightness and contrast settings on one channel, does that automatically sets the same B&C on all the other channels. I am only using rabbitt ears until my D*TV gets here next week. I set up the B&C to 20 and 21 on CBS and ABC still has the out of the box settings. I have the 30day return with BB. Any help would be appreciated.

By the way, is there a way to tell how many hours the panel has been on?

Each input retains it's own settings. So all settings on the coax input would be the same for all channels yes. However the settings on svhs, comonent, HDMI etc would be separately stored and need to be set. For the first 100 hours I set my USER settings on HDMI and component to something like:

Brightness: 45
Contrast: 40
Saturation: 42
Hue: 0
Sharpness: 14
Temperature: Cold

It is very important to get Sharpness below 20. It makes a huge difference from the default settings. Aftter 100 hours I turned up my brightness to 50 and then later on around 55.

And as far as I know there is no way to tell how many hours the panel has been used.

I have had no problems with my PL4260 since I got it in July, until this weekend when the audio started to have a "buzz" to it and then the audio went away completely. As a test I ran the DVD through the component inputs and it worked fine, then my STB through the same components, and it was fine too (except the colors sucked and volume was low, but that's a different story.) I have no way of testing to see if it's my cable box, HDMI cable, or the HDMI input on the TV that is the problem, unless I go out and buy a new cable and/or an upconverting DVD player. Has anyone else experienced this? By the way, no stereo, all directly connected to the TV and the TV output connected to my subwoofer.

I haven't experienced this. You did not say what setup had the sound loss. From your testing statement I'm guessing you mean the HDMI cable from the cable box? If so can you just swap out your cable box? Time Warner here let's me do that whenever I want for free. They even give out an HDMI cable. That would at least tell you if it is the cable box. If you got your HDMI cable from them you could swap it out too. If not buy a $10 HDMI cable from monoprice.com.

Also some cable boxes have a setting for sound through HDMI, so you might check that. What kind of cable box do you have?

Also remember that when you use another input you haven't used before, like component 2, you have to adjust the settings on it.

You can stretch a 4:3 SD input by putting the TV on 16:9. It really depends on how the signal is getting to the TV though, so how does your current Dish Network box get the signal to the TV? Coax cable? Composite (Yellow RCA usually)? Svideo?

For now, it's going to the TV through a coax cable. This is because currently the box isn't in the same room as the main TV. When I upgrade to HD Dish, the box will be situated with the television.

For now, it's going to the TV through a coax cable. This is because currently the box isn't in the same room as the main TV. When I upgrade to HD Dish, the box will be situated with the television.

Cool. then you can stretch it by putting it on 16:9. The only thing you can't stretch is a 16:9 feed that has bars on the sides.

hi,

i received my PL5060n last week and the PQ of this set is ........WOW
but one thing doesnt work

when i connect my Xbox 360 with vga cable

i dont see anything on screen, just black screen

but the tv detect my x360

i change the resolution in the xbox to all resolution available, include 1366x768
and the screen still black

when i put 640x480 the set detect and goes to 640x480@60hz but still black
if i put 1280x720, the set detect 720p but still black
the set detect 1080i@60hz and 1366x768@60hz but still black screen

if i power off the xbox360, the set turn blue and "no signal" screen appear

do you have any idea?



do you have the same issue?

if not and you are connected with Xbox 360, wich cable do you use?
MS or third party?



thanks for your help

I had the same problem with the VGA connection...After a ton of research someone said to pull the # 12 pin out of the VGA cable..It is not needed, and for some reason keeps this particular TV from receiving the video ( something like that )...Just use some needle nose pliers and twist the pin till it comes out..

Works like a charm

Good Luck

I haven't experienced this. You did not say what setup had the sound loss. From your testing statement I'm guessing you mean the HDMI cable from the cable box? If so can you just swap out your cable box? Time Warner here let's me do that whenever I want for free. They even give out an HDMI cable. That would at least tell you if it is the cable box. If you got your HDMI cable from them you could swap it out too. If not buy a $10 HDMI cable from monoprice.com.

Also some cable boxes have a setting for sound through HDMI, so you might check that. What kind of cable box do you have?

Also remember that when you use another input you haven't used before, like component 2, you have to adjust the settings on it.

As it turns out, all I needed to do was unplug the TV for a few minutes and then plug it back in. I was using the HDMI from the HD/DVR box from Cox.

My first reaction was to call Cox and assume it was their box, but they no longer allow me to bring the box to a store and swap it for a new one. They need to send a technician out, and if they find out that it's something other than the box that is broken they'll charge you $50 for a service call.

As far as the component input, I have been using Component 1 from my DVD player, I just pulled the cables from that and put them into the cable box to test. Picture seems fine from the DVD player, but were not good from the box. On a final not, any idea why the sound level is so much lower through component than HDMI? I have to turn movies up to 80 when watching a DVD as opposed to 30 when watching cable through HDMI.

I had the same problem with the VGA connection...After a ton of research someone said to pull the # 12 pin out of the VGA cable..It is not needed, and for some reason keeps this particular TV from receiving the video ( something like that )...Just use some needle nose pliers and twist the pin till it comes out..

Works like a charm

Good Luck

see page 48 of this thread for pin 12 removal diagram . data handshake not needed , some sony's had the same issue with xbox.

So I calibrated my VGA input by using the Finding Nemo DVD(played on an Xbox 360). So I recently purchased Mediacom Digital Cable and the picture looks great at the factory settings, but I am hoping I can get more out of it. Should I just plug the 360 in through composite and do it that way???

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I brought my VGA back to BB and got my money back..

I am pretty picky off my home theater setup and I couldn't really see any difference..

So I calibrated my VGA input by using the Finding Nemo DVD(played on an Xbox 360). So I recently purchased Mediacom Digital Cable and the picture looks great at the factory settings, but I am hoping I can get more out of it. Should I just plug the 360 in through composite and do it that way???

I hope you meant COMPONENT and not composite. If you 360 picture looks better through composite over VGA, yikes! I've debated myself whether to give the VGA cable chance, for the upverting ability until the 360 Elite is out, but the responses vary so much that I haven't yet pulled the trigger.

Deezul

My 5060 arrived yesterday, two hours early, and the guy from the freight company even helped me carry it in the house, which I'm pretty sure he wasn't supposed to do. First impressions: holy cow, it's huge! Coming from a 32" 4:3 display, this thing seems as big as the side of a barn. My viewing distance is 9 feet, and I'm glad I got the 50 instead of the 42.

I think it needs calibrated. I tried some of the various settings as found in this thead, also tried the THX calibration on one of the Star Wars discs. Colors are vibrant, blacks are excellent, but the B&W brightness section of the THX showed some dark greys as having a slight green tint. I'm hoping this can be cleaned up in calibration. I like the remote--no nonsense, only operates the TV and doesn't try to have every conceivable control for every device you might have.

I haven't connected or installed the speakers, and I don't know that I will. Audio is going through my stereo/surround system. The thing is huge now, and putting the speakers on will make it quite outsized. We shall see.

I popped in the docking sequence from 2001: A Space Odyssey and was pretty much blown away. The TV this is replacing, like I said, is a 32" 4:3--roughly equivalent (width-wise) to a 30" 16:9 display. So watching a 2.35 movie on that was a miserable experience--beautiful picture, but just so small. With this thing, even a 2.35 picture is just plain vast.

Unfortunately, I don't actually don't have HD reception yet on my small dish. That's going to take a bit of engineering due to my intent of putting an HD receiver with the TV...and right now there is no easy way to put the receiver there....no good access to run cable from the dish, and also there will be a need to put a phone line there, too. So far I've just been watching Standard Def from a receiver in another room via the RF input. It allows all the aspect ratios, including panorama, which I like. SD pictures are nothing to write home about, but they definitely aren't bad---I believe certainly better than a SD TV of that size would be. I've also watched a few of the movies I have that are in 1.87 AR and fill the screen. I'm very cognizant of break-in and doing my best to avoid burn-in....but I'm not going to be a nut about it. I realize that I'm going to be watching a lot of films in 2.35, and there just won't be anything that could be done about the top and bottom black bars. I'll take the chance when the time comes.

Speaking of movies, SD dvd upconverted to 720p or 1080i looks great on this set. Player is a Sony NC85H. Looks really very nice....quite impressive. Upconverted SD dvd will have to satisfy my HD jones until I get HDTV service. I'm thinking that HD Dvd ought to be awesome. (We watched Borat last night (it's 1.87 AR) and the fight...omg! funny as hell, felt like I was there...slightly gag inducing.)

About calibration...I believe I'll get an Avia calibration disc, but it appears to me that the 5 or so parameters that the user can control aren't enough to calibrate the display properly. I downloaded the Service Manual and it makes reference to a Factory OSD which allows access to additional parameters, such as Red, Blue, Green "Cut" and "Drv", among other things. Am I correct these are what should be used when adjusting color balance, colored greys, etc.? I'm not going to mess with it yet. I want to get some hours on it, let it settle in.

So far, I'm very pleased with the 5060. Certainly, it was a fantastic value at $1299. I'm really looking forward to watching something in true High Def.

The new 42" and 50" models are for sale now on HP's site.

HP PL4272N (http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/product_detail.do?storeName=storefronts&landing=storefronts&category=flat_panel_tvs&orderflow=1&a1=Type&v1=Plasma+TVs&product_code=RK541AA%23ABA&catLevel=2)
HP PL5072N (http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/product_detail.do?storeName=storefronts&landing=storefronts&category=flat_panel_tvs&orderflow=1&a1=Type&v1=Plasma+TVs&product_code=RK543AA%23ABA&catLevel=2)

What a difference a year makes. No major complaints I just wish mine had 3 HDMI inputs and that nice price.

Hey all, I just picked up the 42" at CC. I had a service exchange with a covered product and the HP fit right into the credit they authorized me. I have read almost this entire thread and have a quick question, sorry if I missed it in here somewhere.

I have never owned a plasma set so the problem I think im seeing may be normal but I doubt it.

When I first turn the set on, only 2 days old, a weird solorazation effect, in a lime green color appears on certain parts of the image. it seems to go away after 5 minutes or so then the set runs fine all day.

Should I take it back? Or is something like this normal for the break in period I have read about?

Thanks in advance

Ok, having a problem and hoping someone can help out.

I have the HP50. I connected my xbox 360 to the tv via the vga port on the back of the tv.

When I power the box up, the tv flashes to black, shows the settings on the tv change and then nothing comes up on the screen.

Anyone have this issue or have any recommendations?

THANKS!
I checked my manual and it looks like the VGA port on the HP is for PC only, I don't game, so what outputs do you have on your xbox?

When I first turn the set on, only 2 days old, a weird solorazation effect, in a lime green color appears on certain parts of the image. it seems to go away after 5 minutes or so then the set runs fine all day.

Should I take it back? Or is something like this normal for the break in period I have read about?

Thanks in advance

It's not normal. Take it back or have it fixed.

Jorakal, thanks very mych figured it was bad. This morning the whole image on the screen is shaking and shimmering. Time to get another one.

I work at HP and just checked our employee discounted price, and it's $40 more than that, so, your call... :)

I have the 42" and love it, but still wish I had been able to grab the 50" instead. However, the 42" fits perfect where it's at and makes my wife happy, so in the end I guess I made the right call... ;)

Hello All: Just picked up the PL4260N @ BB on Open Box for under a G, nice upgrade for Master BR. Anyway, lots of folks state they have downloaded the Service Manual for this unit from HP's website, but I can't find link, only to user's guide. Anyone have the link to service manual download? Thanks in advance...

This is the page I found when I first purchase my TV.

HP Manuals (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/manualCategory?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=1832458&lang=en&#)

I remember some one saying something about it being an LG panel, so that might be the service manual they are referring to.

Then again my memory ain't what it used to be.

The link to the service manual is somewhere in this thread. You could try using a web search to find the link if you don't want to take the time to read the whole thread.

It was fairly easy to find...........................


HP PL5060N Service Manual (http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00636992.pdf)

It was fairly easy to find...........................


HP PL5060N Service Manual (http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00636992.pdf)

Is this the same for the 42"?

Yes

It's a big mother weighing in at 245 pages

dont feel like searching the entire thread to find it, but does anyone have the HP number to call to have them come out and update the firmware on the system?

mine is having a problem where when i try to play an audio cd in my dvd player over hdmi, i get the HDMI audio unavailable

dont feel like searching the entire thread to find it, but does anyone have the HP number to call to have them come out and update the firmware on the system?

mine is having a problem where when i try to play an audio cd in my dvd player over hdmi, i get the HDMI audio unavailable

Make sure your DVD player is outputting digital audio over HDMI in PCM mode, will have to looking the DVD players settings. What DVD player are you using?

Looks like this set is HISENSE PDP4211US. Check parts hp com for parts for EK429AA, model name for PL4260N.
I have bought this TV before 5 days ago, and already have 2 rows of pixels dead. Good start...

dont feel like searching the entire thread to find it, but does anyone have the HP number to call to have them come out and update the firmware on the system?

mine is having a problem where when i try to play an audio cd in my dvd player over hdmi, i get the HDMI audio unavailable

I went to www.hp.com, support and service. Try this: http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/contact/phone_assist.html#section1

Looks like this set is HISENSE PDP4211US. Check parts hp com for parts for EK429AA, model name for PL4260N.
I have bought this TV before 5 days ago, and already have 2 rows of pixels dead. Good start...

Er.... huh?

So my house was robbed last week, and of course one of the things taken was my PL4260 (along with a 32" LCD and Toshiba Notebook.) My question is, if you were me, would you buy another PL4260 given that 9 months later there are quite a few more TV's offered at the same price as the HP was last summer.

I never had any problems with mine, and now I have a chance to get the new model with 2 HDMI inputs, so I'm probably going to get another. It's not often we get a "do over" so I'm taking an informal poll to see what you all would do.

So my house was robbed last week, and of course one of the things taken was my PL4260 (along with a 32" LCD and Toshiba Notebook.) My question is, if you were me, would you buy another PL4260 given that 9 months later there are quite a few more TV's offered at the same price as the HP was last summer.

I never had any problems with mine, and now I have a chance to get the new model with 2 HDMI inputs, so I'm probably going to get another. It's not often we get a "do over" so I'm taking an informal poll to see what you all would do.

It's on clearance now since the new models are almost out, so you might find a good deal on it.

I don't really need to find a good deal on it. My insurance will pay the price I paid last year, so that's why I'm contemplating a different brand altogether, since many of those have now come down to the price the HP was last year.

Does anyone know if the new new PL5072N models are still using the LG panel from last year's model?

If insurance is paying for it, I would either get the new 42" model with 3 HDMI inputs or the old 50" model. If I was paying for it, I'd get the old 42" since they have some awesome prices now on it. Best Buy has a great price now on the PL4260N.

Upgrade, your going to want more HDMI inputs, I know I do.

Here's a general AV question I have regarding HDMI. Say my TV has 3 HDMI inputs. So I run my HiDef disc player, my HD DVR from D*, and my Xbox 360 Elite all to the TV. Now I want surround sound. Do I have to run another cable to my audio receiver for sound, or is there an HDMI pass through? It's not such a big deal since HD DVRs and Xboxs currently only output Dolby Digital or DTS. But the HiDef disc players have True HD and Dolby Digital Plus. So would I need to run HDMI to my audio receiver, and then again to my TV to take advantage of the best picture AND best sound?

i've had a 42" HP plasma now for about 3 months. Lately while watching tv or playing a game the screen has random rainbow colors quickly and slightly come through. When it comes through it usually has an old image or words in it. Usually if i can read the image or see what it is i can tell that it is something that hasn't on the tv for long. if any of you could help me i'd really appreciate it. i hope it's something that is an easy fix because this is my second tv. the first one died a day after i got it. thank you in advance.

What you are probably seeing is solarization, it is not normal and I have a replacement set due to arrive for the same problem. My first set puchased in November '06 died after 2 weeks and was replaced. This set from December '06 started solarization after 2 months and got steadily worse. Having a tech replace the main and control bd did not fix the shimmering and solarization. HP is good about replacing, and I am pleased with the picture quality when not shimmering. Hoping that the 3rd time's a charm. The words and letters coming through on the bright flashing areas I have discovered are the image of the onboard menu screen. Kind of like it is bleeding through somehow.... I'll post after I have set #3 for awhile.

I have had a PL5060N since 12/06. Great experience except the red part of the image seems to persist after the screen image has changed. It is particularly noticeable when the background changes to white. It can be seen even on a black screen, but not as noticeable. It eventually goes away. This can't be normal. Any thoughts before I call HP? Thanks.....

I have had a PL5060N since 12/06. Great experience except the red part of the image seems to persist after the screen image has changed. It is particularly noticeable when the background changes to white. It can be seen even on a black screen, but not as noticeable. It eventually goes away. This can't be normal. Any thoughts before I call HP? Thanks.....
You might try turning down the saturation setting in the picture adjustments.

For everybody having issues with xbox 360 vga connection: The problem is not the tv, you dont need to pull out anything out of the vga cable either. The issue is that when you connect the xbox 360 via vga, it defaults at 1280*1024 resolution. If the tv or monitor you are using does not support this resolution the screen will be black! what i did was connect it first to my 20 inch lcd monitor, set the xbox to my pl4260n's native resolution and then connect it to my tv, it works without a problem. That being said the picture through vga does not come close to component, at least to my eyes and a few of my relatives who were over and also thought component looked way better. The vga looked very washed out. Hopefully this helps. By the way thanks to everybody who posts on this forum, very good info on here. I bought the 4260n last week and i am loving it. No issues except from some image retention from games that goes away after watching regular tv. My understanding is that this is normal with all plasmas? Other than that great tv, beautiful picture, and i got it at a great price! thx.

For everybody having issues with xbox 360 vga connection: The problem is not the tv, you dont need to pull out anything out of the vga cable either. The issue is that when you connect the xbox 360 via vga, it defaults at 1280*1024 resolution. If the tv or monitor you are using does not support this resolution the screen will be black! what i did was connect it first to my 20 inch lcd monitor, set the xbox to my pl4260n's native resolution and then connect it to my tv, it works without a problem.

That is great news. Reminds me of moving a DVD player I had from my plasma to a regular 480i tv. It would not display because it was still set to progressive. Had to move it back, take off progressive, then it displayed fine on the 480i tv.

As to being washed out on the VGA connection, I'm wondering if that is due to the graphics settings? Does xbox 360 have graphics settings like gamma or contrast/brightness controls? or even more likely, maybe you just need to adjust the settings on the tv for the vga port input. I don't know if the HP has separate settings for VGA, but every other input has separate settings. So Component 1, 2, HDMI, svideo etc all have to be adjusted the first time you display something on them, or you get the yucky default display setting.

I bought the 4260n last week and i am loving it. No issues except from some image retention from games that goes away after watching regular tv. My understanding is that this is normal with all plasmas? Other than that great tv, beautiful picture, and i got it at a great price! thx.

For a new plasma, I do suggest following the pre-100 hours procedures. Such as:

Ensure a full image at all times on the tv. No bars anywhere.
Turn down brightness and contrast to no more than 40
Ensure you don't have anything that displays the same image on the screen for over a few minutes.
etc.

After 100 hours then go crazy. :)

Thanks for the advise jorakal. I did turn down the settings- to 35 contrast 35 brightness and 15 on sharpness, everything else i left the same right now. It looks good to me at those settings. I'm also making sure the screen is full at all times. I couldnt hold off on playing the xbox, so far though any image retention that occurs goes away, hopefully it wont be a problem as i game more than i watch tv. I was going to get an lcd but the deal and pq on the hp was hard to pass up. I downloaded and burned the break in dvd found on this forum and going to run it starting tonight to speed up the break in process. For the vga i did play with the settings and nothing i did could make look as good as component, so im sticking to that until i get the elite xbox360 with hdmi. My current premium system is having freezing issues and i have a best buy warranty so i think im just going to pay the difference and get the elite as it can upconvert dvd's through hdmi just like vga. thx.

With my insurance money I bought the 5060 for less than I got the 4260 last july. Man, this mother is BIG! Just sucks I gotta break in another TV :(

Does anybody have a list of recommended settings when using this TV with the Xbox 360 VGA cable and the Spring 2007 update? I have it set to Expanded in my color settings and the picture seems a little dark but I am curious on what the rest of you have for your brightness, contrast, and sharpness settings.

Does anyone have a current link to the service manual? The one posted here in April does not work. Thanks

Greetings:

I've been shopping for while, so I decided to sell my 37" Wega and get a PL5060n. Would love a couple of opinions on some questions:

I'm an above average gamer (maybe 10 hours a week on the xbox 360 on a good week) and I'm concerned about any burn-in. I don't usually leave the games paused for an extended period of time, but this is still an concern.

I have the HP TC4400 tablet, which I connect to the Wega via S-Video, and I haven't heard on anyone having any issues in this department.

I went to the local BB and they didn't have the 50" but they did have the 42' at a great price. Of course, being a guy, i gotta have the 50", but they don't have in the Chicagoland area (?!?!) I could take a road trip to southern Illinois to get it, but it seems like a lot for getting this to my house. ******* has it cheaper than BB (1549) with FedEx shipping. Anyone know of better prices/shipping situations?

Any questions, comments would be welcome.

I have been using my 360 since the day i bought my 4260n. It looks awesome and i havent had any issues with burn in. I do take some precautions, like running the break in dvd after i play at times, or watching regular tv on it after i play. I also dont leave anything paused on the screen. I play more than 10hrs a week.

I have been using my 360 since the day i bought my 4260n. It looks awesome and i havent had any issues with burn in. I do take some precautions, like running the break in dvd after i play at times, or watching regular tv on it after i play. I also dont leave anything paused on the screen. I play more than 10hrs a week.

How do you have it cabled to the tv?

How do you have it cabled to the tv?
I am using component, i tried vga and did not like the way it looked, to my eyes component looked better. On another note i am thinking of switching the tv to either a samsung 4254 or a pioneer pdp-4270hd. The reason is i found some really good prices on these and they look like better plasmas? i would be out $300 more out of pocket at the worst for the samsung, probably break even on the pioneer once i get the refund for the hp. what do you guys think is it worth upgrading if i could do it? or is it not really an upgrade?

Hi guys,

I just purchased a 4260n and I tried hooking up my cable to it, but the channels are not received. I have standard cable, not digital, and it is hooked up via coax. Is there a setting I must set in order for the channels to be received over coax instead of HDMI?

Thanks

When you went through the initial setup, did you do the "Signal Source Setting" described around page 19 of the user manual? That's where you select cable versus antenna, find available channels, etc. You may want to rescan, as desdribed later in the menu discussion, just to see what happens. Also, see page 25, where you tell the TV itself what source you want to use. These are separate things, but both need to be "right".

It should work with just an analog cable - I did that for a couple of days between the arrival of the TV and the installation of the digital cable with its STB last September.

Doug

thanks! everything works perfectly now. must have missed that in the initial setup.

I am using component, i tried vga and did not like the way it looked, to my eyes component looked better. On another note i am thinking of switching the tv to either a samsung 4254 or a pioneer pdp-4270hd. The reason is i found some really good prices on these and they look like better plasmas? i would be out $300 more out of pocket at the worst for the samsung, probably break even on the pioneer once i get the refund for the hp. what do you guys think is it worth upgrading if i could do it? or is it not really an upgrade?

All I can say is I love my HP. :)

I am not able to hear sound coming from my Motorola DCT6412 DVR box. I posted in a different forum, but figured you HP gurus might have some input as well... could this be a case of the HP not playing nice with the Moto 6412, or do you think the problem lies strictly with the moto box?


...
I have a Moto6412. This morning, I unplugged the moto completely, in anticipation of a new TV stand that was delivered this evening. After approximately 10 hours of being unplugged, I carefully placed the moto box on the new TV stand and plugged it into my HP plasma TV. I plugged it in just as it was before, with RGB cables for video, and white/red RCA cables for sound.

The moto box is sending the video signal to my TV just fine, but I cannot hear any sound coming from the box. I plugged my PS2 into the same component-in and RCA jacks, and it played fine with video AND sound (so it seems as though it is not the TV). I checked through the moto's settings and spent a couple of hours on the phone getting refresh signals from Cox's tech support, to no avail.

I really don't want to exchange this box for a new one. First, I am afraid that the new box will not be IEEE 1394-enabled, and I will no longer be able to record programs to my computer. Second, I have two "episodes" of the local news recorded on the box, in which my baby girl is featured. I cannot capture via firewire from this local channel, so the box is the only copy I have of the footage; I really don't want to lose it.

The Cox guy wanted to send an initialization code to the box, to essentially wipe it clean and re-load the default settings (but at the same time deleting all of my recordings and settings). Before I do that, I wanted to see what you guys and gals had to say.

By the way, I entered the Diagnostics menu, and hit option d10 (audio/video status). I have attached a few photos of this screen. Please take note of the Audio Mute and Video Mute settings. Doesn't it seem odd that the Audio Mute is set to "On"?? Or is this a normal setting, and it just sort of reads weird? Also, Video Mute tended to switch back and forth between "Muted" and "Unmuted", depending on which channel I was on previous to entering the diagnostics menu. I tried the diag menu while on the local Fox affiliate, and then Cox's TNT-HD channel.

Any ideas on what could have caused this, and what I can do to fix it?

Thanks!

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/2319/dscf4422hm1.jpg

http://img483.imageshack.us/img483/5736/dscf4423ud5.jpg

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Wish I had a solution to fix your box, but I have been through too many of them to have any opinion other than they're a ticking time bomb, and could fail on you at any time.

The suggestion I do have is to record your news footage to a DVD or VCR tape, anything you can record it too, because likely you'll be getting a new box.

well guys i bought the pioneer pdp-4270hd, i liked the hp and would totally recommend it, but i couldnt pass up the deal on the pioneer. Loving it so far.

:) Hi, I'm a new member on this site & I'm hoping to get some advise about my problem on my HP PL4260N w/c I got almost two(2) months ago. The unit was working fine & I was very satisfied with it.However, about four days ago when the unit was turned-on, a 'black line' appeared across the middle and it won't come off. I followed instructions in the manual about troubleshooting but nothing happened.The unit still has great picture except for the 'annoying' line. Has anybody had this problem and how was it fixed? Thanks much !!!

Im new to the post does anyone know the difference in picture quality between the hp pl4260n and the hp pl4200n and other features that would help me decide between the two of them which one is better? thanks

:) Hi, I'm a new member on this site & I'm hoping to get some advise about my problem on my HP PL4260N w/c I got almost two(2) months ago. The unit was working fine & I was very satisfied with it.However, about four days ago when the unit was turned-on, a 'black line' appeared across the middle and it won't come off. I followed instructions in the manual about troubleshooting but nothing happened.The unit still has great picture except for the 'annoying' line. Has anybody had this problem and how was it fixed? Thanks much !!!

Call HP support.

Im new to the post does anyone know the difference in picture quality between the hp pl4260n and the hp pl4200n and other features that would help me decide between the two of them which one is better? thanks

I think the 4200n was the first generation of plasma. Can you still get that? I don't know anything about it. I can recommend the 4260N.

4260N all the way!!! I am thinking about getting a front end projector but will still always have my plasma love the quality!

Hi, I am picking up my PL5060N today, from Best Buy ($1500 - 10% coupon)

Anyway, I have seen threads regarding break in of plasma TV's but I do not actually see one that outlines the proper technique.

Any help would be useful.

Mike

Hi, I am picking up my PL5060N today, from Best Buy ($1500 - 10% coupon)

Anyway, I have seen threads regarding break in of plasma TV's but I do not actually see one that outlines the proper technique.

Any help would be useful.

Mike

I'm not wizard like some of the other posters in here, but there are a few basics, that I've picked up.

Don't view 4:3 content for the first 200hrs. Unless there's a screen saver edge like on some of the HD channels. Bite the bullet and stretch all the SD (standard definition) signals to full screen. It's not a better quality picture, but it will prevent burn in. Sometimes it's unavoidable because HD channels have 4:3 commercials and content. But try to keep it to the minimum of 4:3 viewing. The same goes for DVDs of wide screen movies that are "boxed" above and below. Don't watch hour upon hour of this type of content, during the break in period. I'd watch my a few movies with the "letterboxed" format, a few times during the break in period wont' be disastrous, but keep it to a minimum.

Don't play Console (XBOX, Playstation) or PC games on the HP, that have static images (which is nearly every game). I don't think this is advisable at anytime of the TVs life, and certainly not during the breakin period. Same concept as the 4:3 content, and the letterboxed content, only this time it's the burnt in image of whatever was stationary while playing a game (maps, scores/health bars, borders, that type of thing).

Apparently from what I've read here, the plasma "thingys" are like a a cotton shirt, it's the first few times when you wash it that all the shrinkage occurs. So the worst of the burn in can happen during the first 200hrs of the TVs viewing life.

Secondly.

Keep all the settings, especially contrast, color and brightness as far below 50 (the scale is 100), as you can stand, for the same 200hrs. Low 40's or high 30's if you can bare it. Some stuff with night scenes might be a pain to watch, but I guess this helps too.

There's a whole break in disc thing too. (which I'm not up on, but will attempt to explain it).

How I understand it is, you can get a file (in these forums and other sites) and when you burn it to disc properly , you can play it in your DVR (can't find the thread that relates to this, used to be a sticky but it's not now).

It's a series colors changes that brings the outside area through the whole spectrum of color, while doing nothing to the inside 4:3 area. Essentially this disc exercises the outer portion of the screen that's not used when you view 4:3 programing, when it's playing. The theory being if you use the disc as much as you watch 4:3 programming you can skip the "stretching" of 4:3 content .

If I haven't got this stuff exact someone please chime in ;-).

The risk is...........

If you don't stretch for the first 200hrs, or use the disc, the inner area of the TV becomes more dull then the outer. The resulting effect is a line where the two meet. 2 lines or areas that appear different on either side of where 4:3 content is viewed. You'll see them when you watch stretched or true HD widescreen content.

There's some debate whether any of this is necessary, but I took the safe route and just stretched every thing, and still do.

I have a PL 5060N and it's a great looking TV. I'm glad I didn't go hog wild on my first HD TV. I waited for the prices to come into something I thought was reasonable and for more HD content to become available. I had my eye on an LG or Samsung that was about $500-700 more the the the HP at first. Then I saw the HP, and although the picture is more grainy (on last years model) because it only has a 2D combfilter, I thought the savings was worth the less the top quality picture. I believe your TV if it's this years model now has a 3D filter or something more sophisticated, so it should be an even better picture.

It was, and it still is worth it (for me anyway). Coming from a decent CRT (regular tube TV) to this HP Plasma was a huge leap, especially with HD programming. Stretched images of SD programming are nearly as good as my high quality CRT. That's the biggest issue with plasmas or any HD TV, how does it display things that are not HD. The HP does a very adequate job, and at the price you can't beat it if it's your first (and even if it's not) HD TV.

If things go crazy in a few years and 1080p (or an even higher resolution), come into being , and are affordable, it won't hurt nearly as a bad if I buy one. Since the HP was so reasonable priced.

Your going to love it......... Good Luck.

I disagree with the top poster in terms of playing xbox 360, playstation, etc. After the initial break in period I think that it is perfectly fine to play games. I play games sometimes for lengths of up to 4 hours. Generally, if I play a game with a static HUD I switch over to the menu for a few seconds to relieve any retention.

I disagree with the top poster in terms of playing xbox 360, playstation, etc. After the initial break in period I think that it is perfectly fine to play games. I play games sometimes for lengths of up to 4 hours. Generally, if I play a game with a static HUD I switch over to the menu for a few seconds to relieve any retention.

That's cool to know ;-).. Some day I'm going to drag my gaming rig into the living room and fire up BF2, I'm dieing to see what it looks like.

I wanted to give the most conservative advice I could, since I'm no "expert".

But you do make a concerted effort to not display the static image for very long. Which is probably enough to prevent burn in, and is smart. While you are playing you are taking some precautions. I didn't want to get into too much detail about what a static image is and if there was a way to safe gaurd against burn in, since I've never actually done it myself.

I'll probably do the same when I eventually try it out in my living room, if I ever get the ambition to drag everything out there and set it up. ;-).

Here's a general AV question I have regarding HDMI. Say my TV has 3 HDMI inputs. So I run my HiDef disc player, my HD DVR from D*, and my Xbox 360 Elite all to the TV. Now I want surround sound. Do I have to run another cable to my audio receiver for sound, or is there an HDMI pass through? It's not such a big deal since HD DVRs and Xboxs currently only output Dolby Digital or DTS. But the HiDef disc players have True HD and Dolby Digital Plus. So would I need to run HDMI to my audio receiver, and then again to my TV to take advantage of the best picture AND best sound?

You can either get an HDMI switching receiver and use it for your audio/video needs or you can run the HDMI to the various inputs on the TV and get varying sound to your receiver determined by the various sources and their capabilities.

For example, I run HDMI from Comcast and from my HD-XA2 (HD-DVD player). I run optical to my receiver for Comcast and I run BOTH 5.1 analogs and optical for my HD-XA2. I run my XBOX-360 into the component in's and an optical in. This gives me NO video switching (my receiver isn't capable) but I get all the sound formats I can presently source. I get TRUE-HD via analogs and I get at worst 5.1 DD out of my opticals. If I add another HDMI source (such as BLU-Ray) I'm screwed until I upgrade my receiver. I'm kindof holding out for the new Denon's as I want HDMI 1.3 at a minimum and I want the new HD audio formats decoded properly.

If you do go for a receiver with switching capabilty for video I hope you don't experience handshaking issues (HDMI error which seems rampant at times). I'd certainly get something 1080p ready even if your end display isn't ready for it as it's the present must have twitch word.

In short you CAN get your best sound if you have analog outs on your HD-BD player but you'll have to work a little to get it. Plus I only know of receivers that have one set of said inputs so if you have 2 sources it kind of forces an upgrade or a cheesy switch (more switches can't be a good thing ever).

Onkyo has some receivers ready for the here and now... I know of no TOP audiophile names that are ready to play as of today. By "top" I mean esoteric stuff not your Sony, Pioneer, HK, Denon kind of stuff.

Disfigured, THANKS! That is great information.

Guess I am going to see if I can find the files for the break in DVD as well.

So I now have my TV set very low on brightness, contrast, et. and have a HD channel tuned in with zoom 2 to eliminate any side bars.

I am going to let my TV run all night / day with these settings for the next couple of days, as I have read that is acceptable to do to get the TV broken in.

Any other ideas guys? Or does anyone have a link to the burn in DVD files?

Thanks all!

I had my pl5060n delivered a couple of days ago. This thread has been extremely helpful - thank you to everyone who contributed.

I do have a question. When I switch sources and go to my Playstation 3, which acts as my DVD player, the screen tends to flash a couple of times and the speakers make a few crackling noises. This only lasts for a couple of seconds, but the crackling noise seems a bit unusual (and disturbing). I am using an HDMI cable from the PS3 to the TV. Is this normal when switching sources? I have never owned a plasma TV before and appreciate any and all responses.

I had my pl5060n delivered a couple of days ago. This thread has been extremely helpful - thank you to everyone who contributed.

I do have a question. When I switch sources and go to my Playstation 3, which acts as my DVD player, the screen tends to flash a couple of times and the speakers make a few crackling noises. This only lasts for a couple of seconds, but the crackling noise seems a bit unusual (and disturbing). I am using an HDMI cable from the PS3 to the TV. Is this normal when switching sources? I have never owned a plasma TV before and appreciate any and all responses.


yes , many devices using hdmi connection have erratic behavior during sync handshake..

i wouldnt worry....

I recently purchased a HP PL4260N set, I cannot seem to get the setup right with my Comcast/Motorola HD/DVR cable box. I cannot get HD programming to fill the screen, instead I have black bars on the top and bottom of the picture. I have the box hooked up to the TV using an HDMI connection, but when I select HDMI as the source all I get is a blue screen. Thanks is advance for any help you can provide.

What is the box set to output? I had an RCA upconverting DVD player, when it was set to output 480i all I could get was a blue screen. It looked like the 4260 couldn't deal with the 480i signal over HDMI. Make sure it's set to 720p or 1080i.

The black bars could be caused by cable showing a movie with an aspect ratio wider than the 16:9 of the TV. If it's not that, the cable box may be set to output a 4:3 picture. I'm not familiar with the cable box but you may have to set it to display a 16:9 picture instead of 4:3. Hope this helps.

I love this forum.

I noticed BB had the 5060 for $1800 CAD which is a mind blowing price. I am in the market for a plasma and happened upon this. They gave it to me for $1700 CAD which is about $1500 US. I also had a $75 gift card from work that i used.

I am somewhat picky about AV components and currently run a Denon DVD-3800 into a NEC LT245 video projector at 100" for "serious" viewing. I have an 8 year old Samsung 32" CRT as my regular TV which I watch with Bell Expressvu non-HD.

I recently bought a house (my first house) and I wanted to get rid of the big CRT and put a plasma on the wall which lead me to my search, BB and this forum. I opted to have it delivered because I didnt want to try and wrangle it into my car. Its going to arrive today!

I have my projector calibrated with AVIA and another DVD product. I cant wait to see what the the 5060 PQ is like. I watched it for about 30 minutes at BB and it was sitting beside a $3000 CAD Panisonic. I understand the Pani's are top quality. I have to say that I found the colours and detail to be better on the 5060 while the pani had more "depth" which I think was because of better contrast. But for $1300 less, the 5060 was the better buy. plus I like the look of the 5060 better.

So we'll see... I will post a review when I get it set up and burned in. I dont watch much TV but I am sure that with movies and this new toy I could have it burned in about 3 weeks.

brett

the 5060 showed up today. huge box. definitely wouldnt fit in my car.

it looks really good. but i have one issue maybe you can help me with??

i have my dvd player a denon dvd3800 set to 16:9 and i am playing a 16:9 movie. i have the tv on 16:9 but i still get horizontal black bars!

how do i fill the screen with 16:9?

brett

If you mean you have black bars on the top and bottom of the dvd picture, it has to do with the ratio that it was filmed with. Most movies are filmed in a ratio that is wider than HDTV which is why you see bars on the top and bottom. I can't seem to remember the exact ratios this morning, but HDTV is something like 1.7:1. Some movies are made at this ratio. Most are at 1.8 or higher with a standard ratio of something like 2.35:1 making it wider than HDTV, and thus the bars.

I figured that out. Silly me. I used to be a projectionist too! Cinemascope, as its sometimes called because one of the companies that made lenses for it had that trademark, is 2.35:1. "standard" is 1.85:1 and "full frame" is 1.33:1 (or 4:3).

after i posted, i divided 16 by 9 and got 1.78 and realized that video widescreen is not the same ratio as cinemascope. pretty weird that all this time i thought it was but then again i haven't owned a widescreen until now. my video projection screen is 4:3.

thanks for the post

by the way i am really liking the 5060. i just hope i dont run into some of the problems that have been posted here.

brett

Hi,

I recently got a HP PL5060N. It's an awesome TV; especially coming from a Mitsubishi 27" built in 1988. I bought a mount to place the TV on the wall but I don't see where I can screw in the mount to the TV? Does anybody have a diagram or a how to on mounting this TV on the wall. I look like I might need to remove the handles/base to screw in the mount.

Thanks!!!

I have a 4260 that has been working great for about 5 months. Recently it has begun to flare a bit of reddish or flesh toned color occasionally. This occurs predominantly in faces when they turn quickly or other light colored portions of the picture. Happens on Comcast Hd DVR box and also on DVD. Both through component inputs.

Today it started to show up a lot on almost all channels and was more prevalent on the screen not localized like it used to be. Reminds me of too high contrast in the old days that would cause some type of flaring. But the contrast and picture have been set using Avia DVD and are not as high as factory standard pic setting by a long shot.

I did power off the set tonight and restarted and it seemed to have stopped doing it, for now. Before that the set was in use for about 4 hours.

Ideas?

Thanks for any help.

If it keeps happening you need to call HP support. I had the same problem. It happens when the set warms up for about 30 minutes.

Hi All,

I've had my PL4260n for about six months. It has worked great until a few weeks ago. I have the same problem described by Bixby. After a call to HP and going through the reset, un-plug, re-plug procedure, it still acts up. I fear this may be caused by a design flaw as I have seen the same problem on a friends PL5060n that is about the same age. I have a few questions for the group.

1. Has anyone had this problem and gotten it resolved?
(If yes, what was the fix?)

2. Does anyone have a copy of the service manual they can email me?
(Or give a link to it's location - I've had no luck finding it on the HP site.)

Thanks In Advance,

ScottJohn

Hi All,

I've had my PL4260n for about six months. It has worked great until a few weeks ago. I have the same problem described by Bixby. After a call to HP and going through the reset, un-plug, re-plug procedure, it still acts up. I fear this may be caused by a design flaw as I have seen the same problem on a friends PL5060n that is about the same age. I have a few questions for the group.

1. Has anyone had this problem and gotten it resolved?
(If yes, what was the fix?)

2. Does anyone have a copy of the service manual they can email me?
(Or give a link to it's location - I've had no luck finding it on the HP site.)

Thanks In Advance,

ScottJohn

Try this link
http://dl6.ohshare.com/v/7738983/c00636992.pdf.html

Try this link



Thanks dirtydan! Got it.....

FYI for anyone reading..........HP is sending a new mainboard. They are backordered until the end of June. A tech will schedule an appointment when it arrives. I was told if that doesn't fix the problem, the tech has authority to order a replacement TV (refurb).

Thanks for the help from the members that responded so quickly. I will update everyone as this saga continues....

Thanks Again.............ScottJohn

Keep us posted on how it turns out.

Thanks dirtydan! Got it.....

FYI for anyone reading..........HP is sending a new mainboard. They are backordered until the end of June. A tech will schedule an appointment when it arrives. I was told if that doesn't fix the problem, the tech has authority to order a replacement TV (refurb).

Thanks for the help from the members that responded so quickly. I will update everyone as this saga continues....

Thanks Again.............ScottJohn
Your welcome, and welcome to AVS

I haven't been through the service manual yet but I have it somewhere. Does it allow you to affect overscan or image centering?

Can anyone help me? I currently have the 4260 and have a Directv HD DVR. I keep getting HDMI Audio Unavailable. So for now I am using the RCA audio. Are my settings wrong somewhere, what can I do to get my audio through the HDMI?

Can anyone help me? I currently have the 4260 and have a Directv HD DVR. I keep getting HDMI Audio Unavailable. So for now I am using the RCA audio. Are my settings wrong somewhere, what can I do to get my audio through the HDMI?

A similar problem has been addressed some where in this thread. Possibly the exact same one, I didn't have that problem so I forget the fix or solution.

Are you attempting to use the HP's speakers? Or a AV Home Theater type receiver?

That might help the next person who chimes in.

I have Direct Equipment and I by-pass the TV completely (for sound) using HDMI for just the picture. I connect directly into my Homethearter receiver from the Direct TV Box, via optical and RCA.

There is no "through put" for patching opticalaudio out of HP TV. Meaning, the optical output is only there for OTA (over the air) broadcast audio via the internal HP tuner.

So if you have a Home THeater reciever or other such device and are using the HP's optical out, your not going to hear the Direct TV's sound via the satellite feed.

Sounds to me like your talking about the TV's speakers though.

I've never used the "elephant ear" speakers but just a few thoughts:

There's an audio option in the TVs menu for PCM/Digital you might try that.

The Direct TV boxes often there is also a choice for PCM/Digital.

Tried powering down the TV (uplugging from the wall)?

All of which you probably tired. I've done a couple searches for the exact post but I can't pin it down, but the problem has been addressed here, and discussed.

Reply to my post, and maybe with the the thread being bumped a few times others who had the problem or helped with it, may notice the activity here.

Good Luck.

If you could buy this set (5060n) for 1K delivered to your house, would you do it ????????

I also have a new main board coming for the 4260n to correct the color flaring problem. I will post here after it is done. And I will post again after it has some time on it.

Should be just before the end of the month.

If you could buy this set (5060n) for 1K delivered to your house, would you do it ????????

Yes.

Can anyone help me? I currently have the 4260 and have a Directv HD DVR. I keep getting HDMI Audio Unavailable. So for now I am using the RCA audio. Are my settings wrong somewhere, what can I do to get my audio through the HDMI?

Need more info on all the components you have and exactly how they are cabled together.

Yes.


Good, I just Did :)

I also have a new main board coming for the 4260n to correct the color flaring problem. I will post here after it is done. And I will post again after it has some time on it.

Should be just before the end of the month.

I am so glad to find the AVS forum and found that there are people experiencing the same problem with their PL4260. I have my TV for 6 months and have been having the problem for awhile. The problem only shows up on the left side of the screen on light color image. I called HP once and was told to switch to other type of cable to see if the picture quality would improve. I used component cable and have since changed to HDMI. The picture 'quality' has improved but the flaring problem still occurs.

For people who have received the mainboard, please let us know if it fixes the problem.

For people who have received the mainboard, please let us know if it fixes the problem.

They replaced every board in my TV and it didn't fix it. They had to ship me a new one.

I also have a new main board coming for the 4260n to correct the color flaring problem. I will post here after it is done. And I will post again after it has some time on it.

Should be just before the end of the month.

It will not fix the problem. They may even have the tech check the voltage on the power supply. None of their ideas will work short of replacing the TV. It took me almost 3 months of dealing with HP support before they finally replaced the TV.

... It took me almost 3 months of dealing with HP support before they finally replaced the TV.

OMG! How long have you had the new TV? it doesn't have the problem of flaring light, right?

OMG! How long have you had the new TV? it doesn't have the problem of flaring light, right?

Well, I would characterize it as a orangish tint that occurs on lighter areas (most notably on people's faces). It consists of artifacts that were on the screen previously (not burned in artifacts though). It started out as mainly on faces, but towards the end it occurred on about any light colored surface. They replaced several boards, checked the power supply, and finally replaced the TV. The tech told us on the first visit only replacing the TV will fix it. He had seen it on 3 different TVs with the same model number. However, he has to do what HP tells him and they wouldn't listen to him. So 3 months later, they finally replaced the TV and did what the tech told them to do in the first place.

Hey guys,

I too have had the flaring problem. Same exact thing as everyone else. I had techs at my house replacing parts on 3 different occasions until HP finally replaced the TV.

Now i have a different flaring pixel issue! It now does red flaring pixels in the center portion of the screen on black or very dark colors. I guess I could call HP again but i'm getting very tired of that.

Wish i never bought this TV. Will be buying Panasonic next time.

Big Roy

Hey guys,

I too have had the flaring problem. Same exact thing as everyone else. I had techs at my house replacing parts on 3 different occasions until HP finally replaced the TV.

Now i have a different flaring pixel issue! It now does red flaring pixels in the center portion of the screen on black or very dark colors. I guess I could call HP again but i'm getting very tired of that.

Wish i never bought this TV. Will be buying Panasonic next time.

Big Roy

Roy it is a panasonic.............

I don't think the 4260s are. If I remember it's an LG panel with Hisense boards in it. I believe someone mentioned that the models from the previous year were Panasonic panels.

Here is an example of the flaring problem. Note the actor's left side of front of jacket on the bottom. The dripping spots of color on the rest of the screen were probably camera movement. This was just a quick attempt to capture the issue. this is a mild form of it.

Hi Everyone,
I'm new to the forum and joined due to the flaring issue with our PL4260N. My son purchased this set as a Christmas gift for the family and the flaring issue began in May. I should be receiving a replacement set tomorrow according to HP.
Two trips for service and replaced just about every board including the power supply. The tech was a great guy but HP works by the book. He replaced the main board, control board, PSU, Y sus and power supply. HP had a update concerning voltage adjustments on the PSU and Y sus which improved the picture but did not correct the problem.
If the replacement set is a refurb then I will have even less faith in HP.

I don't think the 4260s are. If I remember it's an LG panel with Hisense boards in it. I believe someone mentioned that the models from the previous year were Panasonic panels.




OEM'd Plasmas via panasonic = HP Emp Discount for other Panasonic Displays


Don't mean to be to criptic but can't say much more

Hi Everyone,
I'm new to the forum and joined due to the flaring issue with our PL4260N. My son purchased this set as a Christmas gift for the family and the flaring issue began in May. I should be receiving a replacement set tomorrow according to HP.
... If the replacement set is a refurb then I will have even less faith in HP....

Please keep us posted if the problem goes away with the new TV.

It seems that the problem is quite common with PL4260N. I am very disappointed that 1) HP hasn't found the solution, 2) HP's customer care hasn't had this issue logged in the knowledge database and offered a faster solution to correct the problem for customers who call in.

Roy it is a panasonic.............

4260n and 5060n use LG panels. The previous models used Panasonic.

Now i have a different flaring pixel issue! It now does red flaring pixels in the center portion of the screen on black or very dark colors. I guess I could call HP again but i'm getting very tired of that.

Big Roy

Hmm...this issue is the reason I just checked ther board. I have had mine for about 6 months and never observd this problem until recently. As you said, I am getting red pixellation in dark areas of the screen, and it does not appear to matter what input or source I am using...the issue is not isolated to the center of the screen...it is also more predominant when there is alot of movement. Try watching white movie credits moving across a black background....

Has anyone else observed this and resolved it? does not sound the same as the "flaring" issue...

Thanks

Scanner57

If you have flaring, it will also get worse over time. It spreads to other areas of the screen and it will eventually make you nuts.

I guess I'll have to call HP and go through the whole process a 2nd time now. First they will send a tech to replace the mainboard and tuner. That won't fix it.

Then HP will send another tech to replace more of the boards deeper inside. That won't fix it.

Then HP will send another TV...of course it will be a refurb and it will continue happening.

This problem has not been resolved by HP. I encourage everyone to call or write a letter to corporate and complain about this problem. If enough people do this they might be forced to actually fix the problem.

No one should spend $1800 on a TV and have these continuous problems. It's ridiculous.

I'm done venting now...

Hmm...this issue is the reason I just checked ther board. I have had mine for about 6 months and never observd this problem until recently. As you said, I am getting red pixellation in dark areas of the screen, and it does not appear to matter what input or source I am using...the issue is not isolated to the center of the screen...it is also more predominant when there is alot of movement. Try watching white movie credits moving across a black background....

Has anyone else observed this and resolved it? does not sound the same as the "flaring" issue...

Thanks

Scanner57

Yeah, I noticed the same here, the exact same thing in fact. It isn't visible from normal viewing distance, but go up close within 3 feet and you see random individual red pixels popping up, especially in dark scenes. I see them all the time when credits roll with white text on a black background, red pixels popping and even flaring up to a smaller degree around the names as they scroll. Happens in HDMI and Component.

Also seems to happen after the TV's warmed up, not so bad when you first turn it on.

Other specific times I've seen this, just for reference.

--The DaVinci Code while watching Starz on HD (Cablevision) over Component. Lots of dark scenes in car chases. Red pixels popping up randomly over dark scenes.
--Switching the PS3 from Limited HDMI output to Full HDMI output. No problems at all when in Limited range, but switch to Full and the red pixels start showing up all over the dashboard

Bought the PL4260N in September 2006, btw.

Has anyone else seen this issue? Anyone have any thoughts on this issue? If so please chime in..

Just got off the phone with HP Help Center. There is a 13 business day back log for replacement units on the PL4260N. Rep told me that about 60 units scheduled for replacement and they will be either new :) or as new :rolleyes: units.

I feel bad for my son as he wanted so much to give us something nice for Christmas but being inexperienced fell for the sales pitch and went with HP.

....to hear about the recent issues some people are having about the red flaring, or other visual issues popping up on their displays. However, looking at the number of these monitors out there, it does seem like most of us are enjoying a good product without issue.

I wouldn't write-off HP for this issue, especially since they are making it right with the customers who are affected by it. Heck, take a read through any of the other threads from other manufacturers and you'll find similar cases. The key is, are they getting fixed?

I'm crossing my fingers that I don't get hit by this issue, but I do have faith that if I do, it'll be taken care of... Now back to enjoying my PL4260N.

I must admit that HP did what they thought was proper and the service tech was a hard working fellow going beyond the call of duty. It is my hope that all will be well with the replacement unit because I do enjoy the quality of the picture and sound it produces.

The PDP portion of the service manual does outline diacnostic procedures for the problem of "mal-discharge" which appears to be the problem at hand.

Keeping the faith.

I purchased mine in Feb and was very pleased w/it. Now, I too am having the same issue with the flaring. The HP Tech is coming to replace the Main Board as well. I only have 7 mos left on the OEM warranty. After what I read, I am about convinced to return this TV to BB and get a different brand. Any Advice?

It will not fix the problem. They may even have the tech check the voltage on the power supply. None of their ideas will work short of replacing the TV. It took me almost 3 months of dealing with HP support before they finally replaced the TV.


What Model did they replace it with? Same Model or an updated Model?

I purchased mine in Feb and was very pleased w/it. Now, I too am having the same issue with the flaring. The HP Tech is coming to replace the Main Board as well. I only have 7 mos left on the OEM warranty. After what I read, I am about convinced to return this TV to BB and get a different brand. Any Advice?

I'd go the BB route. I had an imperfection in my first PL5060N (a green vertical line), they immediately replaced it.

I would think if you are within the time limit of BB's warranty, it would be easier to get a new TV from them, rather then HP. HP will probably drag you through the entire trouble shoot, and as I've read on these boards it's rarely a fix, and a longer process.

BB essentially told me at the time they don't do service or field work as part of their warranty. They replace the TV, ship the old one back to HP where they refurbish it, canalize it, or what ever they do with those sets.

I'm happy with the second HP I got, and the set is performing well, so as far as another brand goes that's up to you.

Although if they offer you a replacement of better quality or higher value but at your lower purchased price, I'd go for it, no matter what brand it is, but that's kind of an obvious choice.

One of the main differences in the new HP's that would be available to BB as a replacement, is an upgrade from a 2D combfilter to a newer 3D one. That was one of the main reasons for the lower prices of last years models. This 2D combfiliter is what didn't allow the HP sets to look as "smooth" as other Plasmas. The HP picture was more "grainy" because of the lack of a sophisticated filter. Or so said Consumer Reports, at the time I purchased my PL5060n (Xmas of 2006).

So the new HPs are not quite the same and actually address one of the drawbacks in last years model. It's not just a repackaged version of last year's T.V. Now of course with any new hardware or software there's a chance it also will have problems.

That's my advice, with a little insight too.

Good Luck.

Note: Personally I'd take a chance on the HP only because I prefer the looks of the T.V. I like the minimalistic style of it once the elephant ear speakers are removed. But that's me.

Hi all,

I just wanted to inform everyone one of my experience with the PL4260N over the past month +. I started noticing "Flaring" (red and green) on my set back in late May. It was occurring on all inputs so I knew it was an issue with the set not my devices. I contacted HP and they sent a tech out to replace the system board, that made the issue worse so he returned in a week and changed the control board. This seemed to correct the issue. however 3 weeks later it started again. I called HP and they offered to exchange my unit for a "Like New" model. I accepted and the "Like New" model was delivered Friday. To my surprise the new set had green and red snow flurries all over the screen in any dark area (the Tech and I both noticed during the startup menu). We let the set warm up and tested all inputs only to realize the set was toasted.

The tech called HP before he left on Friday and 2 hours later I received a cal back from my case Manager at Corporate. He apologized for the issues I had been having and offered to exchange the set for a new one. I explained that I was unhappy with this model and requested that I be sent a new 07 model (HP PL4272N). He stated that usually they can only replace the TV with the same model if it is in stock, however due to my multiple issues he was willing to grant my request. My case manager also told me that they have had multiple escalated issues with this set and to date no issues with the new model (crossing fingers for a good set)!

I received confirmation later that day (through email) that the set was ordered and should be arriving around 7/20. I will post again once I have the new model in and offer my impressions of it and comparisons to the old model. Hopefuly this gives some hope to those of you with the same issue. If you would like the new 07 model set (HP PL4272N) I would request it when you call in with your complaint, if they say no due to same set in stock I would ask to speak to their manager.

Good luck to all!!

I'm also seeing the red flaring, / "mal-discharge", issue with mine. Purchased in Sept. of '06. Going to contact HP this week and get the ball rolling on a replacement.

i'm new to this forum i need some help with my recently purchased pl4260n
i have a d10 directv reciever and im getting awful picture quality sd channels are pixeled
ive tried svideo composite and regular rf but same situation satelitte strenght is at 90% so thats not the answer is this a problem with the recierver to old or not good enough?
will i get a better PQ on regular sd channels with an hd reciever or not?
help is apreciated

i'm new to this forum i need some help with my recently purchased pl4260n
i have a d10 directv reciever and im getting awful picture quality sd channels are pixeled
ive tried svideo composite and regular rf but same situation satelitte strenght is at 90% so thats not the answer is this a problem with the recierver to old or not good enough?
will i get a better PQ on regular sd channels with an hd reciever or not?
help is apreciated

The D10 is not a HD reciever so your really not getting the most out of your new TV. You'll need to upgrade the STB (set top box being your cablebox, or Sat.Box), and possibly your dish too.

The brief time I used my DirecTV SD STB, with my HP plasma, I didn't notice that much of an improvement in the SD picture when switching to the HD STB. It was better but not by much. But I don't have a D10, so it's not an accurate comparison.

Is there a setting in your D10 STB for screen ratio? 16:9 or 4:3? Some SD STBs have this setting. My two DirecTV SD STBs have it. Try adjusting that.

The HP TV itself has something you might want to adjust.

With your HP TV remote use the accept button to change how the screen is formated. Auto, 16:9 mode, 4:3 mode, Zoom1, and Zoom2. Try to see if one of them is better.

For specific help with a DirecTV STB you might want to post in this section of the forum: HDTV Reception Hardware (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=25) It's for HD stuff, but that's where they talk about STBs.


For a gas have you tried to connect a set of rabbit ears to receive local HD and SD signals? Are you near a populated area? The TV itself has an input for an antenna and has a "cable ready" type set up where it will suck in local channels. You might want to get that going to get more channels and possibly better SD picture quality. I bought a cheap set of rabbit ears, and I was astonished at the qaulity of the HD signals the standard ones are good too. Sometimes better then the STB SD signal rendition. But I'm close to the origin of the signal.

I think your box is too old, it's defiantly not an HD box so that could be the problem.

Good Luck.

And, for whatever it's worth, I've had no problems whatsoever with my PL4260N, purchased in September 2006.

Doug

HI guys , well I'm thinking of buying the HP 4272N , I am replacing my Panny 42" ED plasma, wich is going in to the bedroom, I just need more HDMI's in the living room. So a general opinion abou this set ? I know the black levels wont be as good as the panny , or will they ? I love the simple and clean look of these sets , and of course the price :) , I'm just wondering how much of the contrast from the panny I'm going to miss, and hows the false contouring?
My other option is a LG 1080P 42' LCD, but it's a few hundred more.

THANKS !!

Well, HP replaced my PL4260N today and I now have a wide screen night light. The set remains on or at least there is power to the screen at all times. Tried low power standby but NG. Not a happy camper.

Called the support center, explained the problem and was immediately offered a replacement unit or tech visit. I told them that I had no faith in the 4260N and would like the newer model 4272N. Called too late to get upper level individual so will know more in one business day.

ONWARD!

HP called back this morning and flatly refused to upgrade the model opting for yet another replacement 4260N. I've decided to go work with them one more time as "third time's a charm". I will need answers concerning the one year manufacturer warrantee and the extended service plan relating to how they apply to the replacement unit.

If there is another bad unit I would like suggestions from the list as to how I should proceed.

HP called back this morning and flatly refused to upgrade the model opting for yet another replacement 4260N. I've decided to go work with them one more time as "third time's a charm". I will need answers concerning the one year manufacturer warrantee and the extended service plan relating to how they apply to the replacement unit.

If there is another bad unit I would like suggestions from the list as to how I should proceed.

Sorry to hear about the refusal of the new model (guess it all depends on who you talk to). Anyway concerning the warranty (bend over because here it comes), your warrant is 1 year from the original purchase date of the original product (meaning 1 year from the date you bought the TV). This will be the case for any replacement, unless you get them to give you the new model (4272N), in that case you get a new 1 year warranty from the manufacturer.

My new 4272N is scheduled to arrive today so I will make a post this evening to let everyone know my impressions.

Good luck al!!

Well all my new PL4272N was delivered today around 2:00 as promised. I have had a chance to set it up and calibrate it using AVIA by Ovation Multimedia. I listed my impressions below for everyone.

Pros
1. Out of the box the first thing I noticed was that the back panel is much better ventilated than the PL4260N (more and larger holes, and unit runs cooler)

2. The television itself look nicer, cleaner and more expensive (Personal preference I like the new Piano black)

3. Picture quality and clarity on VGA input is dramatically better. (running at 1024x 768 (1280 x 768 in gaming mode)and it looks fantastic, text is very clear). This is a big deal for me because I have an HTPC that I play HD and regular movies on.

4. Sharpness- Out of the box the default sharpness was better and when adjusted properly still looked better than same setup on old model.

5. Menu - much more responsive than previous model (no lag in button selections (essentially the exact same menu though just had the graphics reworked)

6. Speakers - I didn't use them on the old model and wont on this one either (running an Onkyo 5.1 system) but if you need them they sound fairly nice for built in and do not look like freaking elephant ears like the old model. :D

7. HDMI - 3 inputs (very nice)

Cons
1. Time between channel change and picture load is considerably longer through HDMI (This was almost instantly on old model and now takes aprox 1 sec on HD channels) Not a biggie but still worth mentioning

2. Less pixels 1024 x 768 versus 1365 x 768 (however this has not had a negative impact on picture quality).

Wash
1. Picture quality on HDMI and Component inputs seem to be of the same quality on both units when configures properly. This is a good thing though because the picture quality on my old unit was excellent, that is until all of the problems started.


Anyway I hope that this little review will help some of you and please do not hesitate to PM me or post her if you have any questions that I have not answered or just need some advice on dealing with tech support.


Later

I believe the PL4260N is also listed as 1024x768, though for Mac/PC purposes you want to use 1366x768 (16:9), same as on the PL4272N presumably.

Doug

i am new to this forum, and i apologize that my first post is a plea for help rather than an offer of help to someone else.

i have read through this forum and you all seem to know much more than myself about the hp pl4260n and other models. I own the pl4260n and i am experiencing an odd problem that i think has not been mentioned (after reading all 55 pages of the post). My screen randomly blinks black, like the picture is going out. The blink lasts for about a second and happens randomly on all inputs except my pc input. i have called HP, they said they would set up my scenario and try it (never heard back from them, going to follow up soon). They also took me on this long 'goose chase' where i spent 45 minutes checking my vga/pc connection (the only one that worked), she was very rude and would not listen to my own experience with the tv. As for BB, where i bought the tv, they offered no help just to bring it in to the geek squad.

anyway, if there is anyone reading this that has had this problem, or knows of this problem, any help would be greatly valued. the screen blinks black (the picture and all disappears) for about a second, then it is working again.

thanks so much.

Yesterday was a bad day. I turned on the tv and about fifteen minutes into The Daily Show, it sounded like someone threw a handful of firecrackers into my living room. Capacitors started blowing one after another. The picture went funky and dim. I smelled that electrical burning smell. I pulled the power cord and got my paperwork together and called HP.

The tech had me hold the power button for one minute ("to drain the capacitors") and then turn the tv back on. There was immediately another loud crack and he instructed me to pull the power cord and leave the tv off. Yeah. He said I needed a new main board. At first, he said that the boards were backordered until September 23rd. I told him to just have someone bring me a new tv because no way was I going to wait until September. Then he said that the board would ship in 7 - 10 days and once a tech picked it up they would schedule a repair appointment. We'll see.

I bought the tv in Nov '06 and have it plugged into a surge protector. Does anyone know why this could happen?? Any advice on how to deal w/ HP would be appreciated. I haven't even paid this off yet and I'm not thrilled about already having to have the tv repaired.

I am having the flaring pixels problem described in this forum also. my problem is that I bought this direct from the HP home store in May of 2006 and so my warranty is no longer valid and they want to charge $250 for the techs to just come out!

Has anyone had this happen to them? Any suggestions?

Second replacement 4260N due in tomorrow replacing the 40" night light :)
I wonder what will be wrong with the next set.

My son purchased the stores extended service plan which states if the store can't repair the TV it will replace it with a similar unit. Could this be the ultimate solution if HP can't solve the problem?

Just got off the phone with HP Help Center. There is a 13 business day back log for replacement units on the PL4260N. Rep told me that about 60 units scheduled for replacement and they will be either new :) or as new :rolleyes: units.

I feel bad for my son as he wanted so much to give us something nice for Christmas but being inexperienced fell for the sales pitch and went with HP.


It is you who are the Nieve one these are great sets...... We have one here at work that has been on 11-12 hours a day for 18 months and it still operates flawlessly........... Bottom line is the silent majority 98%+ of HP plasma and DLP owners don't post because their is NOTHING wrong with their sets............. lets do a little math shall we........ 25k run of each 42" and 50" = 50K sets 2% bad=1000 bad flaring, popping, creaking and/or DOA sets of which minimum of 40% of owners are Tech savvy and 25% of those will post to Boards like this (multiple times, look at you 6 posts and counting) thats 100 irate owners acounting for 90% of the badmouthing of these sets....... Oh and By the way if you look at any other brand they all have the same amount and types of problems................. Your Son did great you will see if you go and buy something else. for the money the PQ can't be beat and the contrast ratio is spectacular.......................

Critter111:

You have thralled me with your acumen.

Being retired I find myself with too much time on my hands which has caused me to wonder why you would post such a condescending sarcastic response to my previous posts. If you wish to go that route, I’m in!

Your ability to state the obvious astounds me. Individuals experiencing problems vent, complain, bad mouth or whatever. That’s the way it is. From my perspective I’m less than thrilled with the two sets supplied by HP both being defective. Now if you wish me to go away or stop complaining just send a check for $1349.50 (sales tax included). If I’m going to put down cold hard cash I expect a rock solid product. I could care less if it were a Panasonic, LG, etc. I pay good money I want a good product and I’ll fight until I get one. None of this “You pays your money and you takes your chances” stuff.

My apologies to the members of this board and the moderator if I’ve wasted your time, bandwidth and on-line storage with my worthless whining.

Critter111:
BTW that was post #7 this is post #8. See how it works? You have two fingers left, next you'll have to remove your shoes.

You have what you want.. I'm gone!

Yeah, I noticed the same here, the exact same thing in fact. It isn't visible from normal viewing distance, but go up close within 3 feet and you see random individual red pixels popping up, especially in dark scenes. I see them all the time when credits roll with white text on a black background, red pixels popping and even flaring up to a smaller degree around the names as they scroll. Happens in HDMI and Component.

Also seems to happen after the TV's warmed up, not so bad when you first turn it on.

Other specific times I've seen this, just for reference.

--The DaVinci Code while watching Starz on HD (Cablevision) over Component. Lots of dark scenes in car chases. Red pixels popping up randomly over dark scenes.
--Switching the PS3 from Limited HDMI output to Full HDMI output. No problems at all when in Limited range, but switch to Full and the red pixels start showing up all over the dashboard

Bought the PL4260N in September 2006, btw.

Has anyone else seen this issue? Anyone have any thoughts on this issue? If so please chime in..
Please allow me to add my experience. Like other posts I am onto my THIRD set! First last less than 24 hours. Red Death! Second lasted longer. Eventually noticed the red pixel issue and thought this cannot be right...especially after having one die the Red Death before. Tech came out replaced parts...to no avail. 2nd visit replaced nearly all internal parts. Problem solved.....? I think not! Picture looked fine....it wasn't until hours later that I attempted to turn it off that I noticed the next problem. I would not completely shut down. Power indicator never goes red as if it is hung between on and off condition. It will still turn on but remains illuminated unless it is unplugged. WTF! HP to have it replaced with "a new one I should be very happy with". I just feel like a boob for buying it. I selected the unit because of its perceived value and quality relative to competing brands. Originally purchased extended warranty with BB but have deal directly with HP to date. Question is.....will BB still honor an extended warranty on the new replacement set? Any comments/advice appreciated.

My, my! Now I may have wished I have read this forum before I bought my 4260n. Mine is about 2 months old now. I'll be scared to death to turn it on now thinking that anytime I will start getting the flaring. I bought mine from Circuit City for $999. Maybe I should have got the extended warranty. But I'm afraid it is too late in the game for that now. Guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed and keep watching this post to see if any solution from HP comes up.

Eric,
Remember one thing, the glass is half full not half empty. Enjoy the set and IF a problem arises deal with it at that time. There are quite a few helpful knowledgeable people on the forum. May not solve the problem but point you in the right direction.
ENJOY!

Could be worse I guess. I paid $1,600 for mine. Shipping company called today stating that will be delivering and installing new PL4272N on Monday. I believe you can still purchase the warranty if you like. At this point I have mostly worked with HP. When the first one died....I called BB and they sent someone out in about 2 days to look at it for 5 seconds and say "go get another one". Said he sees this all the time. Had to load the broken set up myself and take it across town as the location I bought it from no longer had any left in stock. The irony of the whole debacle is...I actually LOVE my set....when it's working!!!!

That's a good point concerning the extended service plan and a replacement set from the manufacturer.
Our service plan is from 6th ave electronics. I'll see what they say.

Same here on loving the set. I have been reluctant to jump into the HD tv sets until they had been out for a while (I use to be an early adopter). I have so loved my Sony 32" XBR2 CRT that was calibrated and still has an outstanding image and color on SD material that outshines SD even on HD sets. But it is getting old now. And, so I finally decided to "take the plunge" and found this set on sale. I admit that I have not been to this forum in some time and just happen to come to it and decided to look and see if "my" set was listed. Well, here I am and now wondering if I made a good decision on this HP. I will call CC tomorrow and see if I can still purchase the extended warranty. In the meantime I will continue to watch it and enjoy it. It does have an excellent picture on it since I have it adjusted the way I want it. I watch all of my movies with the lights off so I have the brightness turned down from what people probably have theirs at. I usually don't watch much tv during the day so it stays off more than it is on. I also have an HP Z558 pc attached to it as well. Everything, at this time, is working perfectly. I hope it continues to do so.

And, as someone pointed out a few posts/pages back, you tend to hear from people with questions and problems here, or on any forum here, not those for whom it just worked with no problems. Read almost any TV forum here and you'll see the same stuff.

Doug

Hello all, I bought my PL4260 back in Feb/March '07 and have had a great experience with it.

That being said.....tonight my wife and her friend were playing the Wii on it and after turning off the Wii, the TV sets screen went black. The power button still indicated that it was on but no reaction could be gained from using the remote or the side buttons on the TV.

At first I figured it might have over-heated and let it sit for a bit, but we've had it on much longer before without issue.

The power button still reacts the same as if nothing were wrong. It's red when off, purple when turning on, and blue when on. It still goes through this progression when turning on.....but no picture, not even the backlight and HP image.

Anyone seen anything like this?

Hello all, I bought my PL4260 back in Feb/March '07 and have had a great experience with it.

That being said.....tonight my wife and her friend were playing the Wii on it and after turning off the Wii, the TV sets screen went black. The power button still indicated that it was on but no reaction could be gained from using the remote or the side buttons on the TV.

At first I figured it might have over-heated and let it sit for a bit, but we've had it on much longer before without issue.

The power button still reacts the same as if nothing were wrong. It's red when off, purple when turning on, and blue when on. It still goes through this progression when turning on.....but no picture, not even the backlight and HP image.

Anyone seen anything like this?

Have you powered the set down? Physically unplugging it from the wall socket.

I lost picture on one of my feeds (component I think) and that solved the problem, although I got a "no signal" warning not a completely black screen.

That's the first thing I'd try.

Same here on loving the set. I have been reluctant to jump into the HD tv sets until they had been out for a while (I use to be an early adopter). I have so loved my Sony 32" XBR2 CRT that was calibrated and still has an outstanding image and color on SD material that outshines SD even on HD sets. But it is getting old now. And, so I finally decided to "take the plunge" and found this set on sale. I admit that I have not been to this forum in some time and just happen to come to it and decided to look and see if "my" set was listed. Well, here I am and now wondering if I made a good decision on this HP. I will call CC tomorrow and see if I can still purchase the extended warranty. In the meantime I will continue to watch it and enjoy it. It does have an excellent picture on it since I have it adjusted the way I want it. I watch all of my movies with the lights off so I have the brightness turned down from what people probably have theirs at. I usually don't watch much tv during the day so it stays off more than it is on. I also have an HP Z558 pc attached to it as well. Everything, at this time, is working perfectly. I hope it continues to do so.

I was the same as you with a great JVC CRT, it still beats HD sets with SD signals, and is still chugging along and in "The Den".

Even though my first PL5060N was sour (which brought me here), and it had to be carted back to BB for a replacement, for the price and the picture I'm very happy with it, and have had nearly no problems with the second set. Nothing major any way. Small anomalous stuff fixed by just unplugging it.

It's a good first HD set to get , and I'm glad I didn't jump into anything too high end for my first one. After watching years of SD signals on my friends very pricey projections, Plasmas, and LCDs, I'm glad I waited for prices to be reasonable and more HD content to be available. Even now when my freinds come over they may have had the pleasure of veiwing HD material sooner but most of them have hulking projections they paid top dollar for and are eye sores, that don't even look as good. They're pissed they didn't wait.

Although I will say the purchase of a very high end CRT was what made it possible for me to wait. Which some of my friends didn't have the advantage of that. So it's a pay me now or pay me later deal.

Plus I love it's looks, I like minimalistic styling.

Have you powered the set down? Physically unplugging it from the wall socket.

I lost picture on one of my feeds (component I think) and that solved the problem, although I got a "no signal" warning not a completely black screen.

That's the first thing I'd try.
@ disfigured:

Yes, I immediately unplugged the tv and let it sit for a few minutes to fully reset it. After that didn't work I left it unplugged over night, still nogo in the morning. I'm about to call HPs support line......anyone got advice on that path?

ARGH!

I just got off the phone with HP support and after a quick troubleshooting flow-chart from them, I am waiting for a main board to be delivered. Unfortunately, the part is on backorder for 2 weeks.....lovely.

On a positive note......the HP support line seemed to be working quickly and courteously to fix my problem. I will update in a couple of weeks.

I haven't looked at every post in this thread yet, but I just wanted to drop in my two-cents on this TV. I bought a HP 4260N in December 06, just before x-mas from BB and I thought it had a decent picture for the price. Unfortunately, within 30 days, I ran into the same problem as noted in a few other posts, the button would glow red, then change to purple and then no picture would ever display. I never connected the speakers, so I didn't know if there was sound, but when I called the HP service line they said it would be at least a week before they could get someone out to look at it. I decided not to wait and drove the TV back to BB. When I brought the TV back, I happened to notice another HP4260N behind the service counter. I asked the clerk what was the reason that TV was returned and the clerk said it had sound but no picture!! What a coincidence, to have two TVs of the same make and model returned to the same store on the same day for the same problem?! This sounds like a potential recall to me...has anyone heard of one?
Anyhow, my wife wouldn't agree to spend an extra $700 to upgrade to the Panasonic 42" (my original first choice) since the picture did not appear good enough to justify the additional cash, so I told them I would try the HP again. I have had the new one since January and haven't had any significant issues. However, in the last few weeks, I had noticed that in the left half of the screen, white and cream colored tones were being rendered with a muddle of strange pink, light yellow, and light green colors. It was somewhat transient at first, but got worse over the last few weeks. I wasn't able to find anything else like this on an Internet search, but I just tried the power cycle reset (turn off, unplug, hold power button for 5 seconds, plug back in, turn on) and the problem seems to have gone away for now. Has anyone else seen anything like this?
I also want to add that with the first set, I had it set to do a cold start with each power-on and with the new set, I have it set to only go into standby during power-off, so it starts right up without initializing. I don't really know if that makes a difference in whether or not the video dies out, but it's working for now, so I don't want to risk it. I also noticed that the manufacture date on the original was in March or June of 06 and the newer one was manfactured in October 06. Maybe HP was aware of the problem and fixed the issue in these newer models.

Thanks,
kxelsyd

I haven't looked at every post in this thread yet, but I just wanted to drop in my two-cents on this TV. I bought a HP 4260N in December 06, just before x-mas from BB and I thought it had a decent picture for the price. Unfortunately, within 30 days, I ran into the same problem as noted in a few other posts, the button would glow red, then change to purple and then no picture would ever display. I never connected the speakers, so I didn't know if there was sound, but when I called the HP service line they said it would be at least a week before they could get someone out to look at it. I decided not to wait and drove the TV back to BB. When I brought the TV back, I happened to notice another HP4260N behind the service counter. I asked the clerk what was the reason that TV was returned and the clerk said it had sound but no picture!! What a coincidence, to have two TVs of the same make and model returned to the same store on the same day for the same problem?! This sounds like a potential recall to me...has anyone heard of one?

I've had my HP 4260N since October '06. No problems with it. And mine was an open box model from BB. No recall for me, knock on wood.

Deezul

I received my second replacement set from HP last Thursday and have been enjoying it since.
Been playing with my cablevision digital tuner changing picture format from fixed to pass-through and saw the resolution go from 480p to 720i on some channels and what a difference indeed. What I have seen on a few occasions is a horizontal jittering of the picture. First I turned the TV off / on with no improvement then I did the same to the cable box and the image was fine. One thing I did observe was unstable volume during all this. I am wondering if the cable box is at fault and the signal is less than optimal now and then. I've changed picture format at the box back to fixed to see if the this happens again.
Interesting!

Does anyone have a similar setup.

When the PS3 tries to detect the settings for the TV it finds the 480p but then fro anything higher 720p or 1080i I get static and popping sounds during detection. I have tried the old reset the box method and messed with the source controls while it was doing the test but nothing seems to work. I am about to take this ps-of-**** back to the store and get a Xbox 360 elite.

any help would be appreciated.

Does anyone know the HDMI version that HP put out with these models?

Its been a while since I originally set this up, by I've had no problems. I have a PS3 and the HP pl4260 and have had them happily playing nice with each other since setting up back around January...

I'm sure this has been covered in this thread somewhere, so try another search on the subject if you haven't already.

For me, the first time I hooked things up was via HDMI. The HP recognized it, and the PS3 came up on the HDMI display just fine. I went into the video settings on the PS3 and selected auto detect for my display, and it's always worked just fine, switching between 720p and 1080i depending on the game that I play... It goes to 1080i for all movies...

Yes, there will sometimes be a quick click/pop and static for a fraction of a second as it switches modes, but that is normal from what I hear others say.

My setup is HDMI to TV, Optical out to an old Onkyo AV receiver doing 5.1...

Its been a while since I originally set this up, by I've had no problems. I have a PS3 and the HP pl4260 and have had them happily playing nice with each other since setting up back around January...

I'm sure this has been covered in this thread somewhere, so try another search on the subject if you haven't already.

For me, the first time I hooked things up was via HDMI. The HP recognized it, and the PS3 came up on the HDMI display just fine. I went into the video settings on the PS3 and selected auto detect for my display, and it's always worked just fine, switching between 720p and 1080i depending on the game that I play... It goes to 1080i for all movies...

Yes, there will sometimes be a quick click/pop and static for a fraction of a second as it switches modes, but that is normal from what I hear others say.

My setup is HDMI to TV, Optical out to an old Onkyo AV receiver doing 5.1...


Could it be a bad HDMI cable? I haven't tried it on anything else.

Could it be a bad HDMI cable? I haven't tried it on anything else.


Woo Hoo it was the HDMI cable!!!

Does anyone have the service manual online still? I would like to get a copy of it and the old links do not work anymore :(

Got my set in August of 2006 for about twice as it's selling for now.. Everything has been fine for a year until this week. 1 Pixel went bad and is flashing red, it's so small you really can't notice unless someone points it out for you but for me knowing it's there I hate it. Long story short - I'm still under warranty by a matter of a couple days - I called and they said that they would be replacing the entire unit. I must say I spoke with someone from NORTH AMERICA! And they were fantastic - so I will get my unit in 2 weeks and for now the old one works fine.

My understanding is many warranty'd sets aren't replaced unless more than 6 pixels are bad. This experience will get me to purchase HP products all around in the future.

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.
Banditeb/Ocbaud,
Have either of your approached HP support on this issue? I'm having the same problem with a Motorola HD DVR (model QIP6416-2) supplied by Verizon FiOS connected to my PL4260N display. I have an open case with HP support (case#6300826261). So far they have replaced the display and that did not resolve the jittering issues we are all seeing in 480i resolution.

I know a work around is to set the source (HD/DVR) to output 480p for 4:3 formats. I've personally found the 480p resolution to be of less quality when viewing 4:3 broadcast in a 16:9 format. The 480i is much crisper picture.

HP says the source, my Motorola HD/DVR, might be the problem. But if others with different cable boxes are having the exact same problem I doubt it. But to satisfy HP's requested I hooked up a different (same model but different unit) HD/DVR Box from the bedroom and the same jittery picture after about 20-30mins.

BTW I have another Plasma EDTV and an LCD HDTV both which work fine when attached to this same Motorola HD/DVR.

What I could use is a little collaboration here. If you could report this problem to HP support that matches mine with different source equipment, That might help us all get HP to recognize this as a problem and figure out a resolution and benefit us all.

Cheers,
tk

However, in the last few weeks, I had noticed that in the left half of the screen, white and cream colored tones were being rendered with a muddle of strange pink, light yellow, and light green colors. It was somewhat transient at first, but got worse over the last few weeks. I wasn't able to find anything else like this on an Internet search, but I just tried the power cycle reset (turn off, unplug, hold power button for 5 seconds, plug back in, turn on) and the problem seems to have gone away for now. Has anyone else seen anything like this?
Ok I have been looking for someone having this issue. Mine started up a couple of weeks ago, I have not tried the power off sequence, so I will try it tonite. I originally thought it was due to a bad signal, but I switched over to the PC jack and was able to see it on some of the menus with the PC display so now thinking it is a TV issue. Glad to see this posted here. Thanks

Looking for the repair manual, if I could say why you guys would laugh but I NEED a service manual.'

Links are broken, nothing on google, nothing on HP's site (is the PL4245N same for servicing?)

Any help appreciated....

What upconverting DVD player works well with this plasma.

Thanks!

I'm happy with my Sony NS75H, especially considering the price.

Doug

Got my set in August of 2006 for about twice as it's selling for now.. Everything has been fine for a year until this week. 1 Pixel went bad and is flashing red, it's so small you really can't notice unless someone points it out for you but for me knowing it's there I hate it. Long story short - I'm still under warranty by a matter of a couple days - I called and they said that they would be replacing the entire unit. I must say I spoke with someone from NORTH AMERICA! And they were fantastic - so I will get my unit in 2 weeks and for now the old one works fine.

My understanding is many warranty'd sets aren't replaced unless more than 6 pixels are bad. This experience will get me to purchase HP products all around in the future.

Sam, what phone number did you call? I've only been getting Indians.

If you have flaring, it will also get worse over time. It spreads to other areas of the screen and it will eventually make you nuts.

I guess I'll have to call HP and go through the whole process a 2nd time now. First they will send a tech to replace the mainboard and tuner. That won't fix it.

Then HP will send another tech to replace more of the boards deeper inside. That won't fix it.

Then HP will send another TV...of course it will be a refurb and it will continue happening.

This problem has not been resolved by HP. I encourage everyone to call or write a letter to corporate and complain about this problem. If enough people do this they might be forced to actually fix the problem.

No one should spend $1800 on a TV and have these continuous problems. It's ridiculous.

I'm done venting now...


I have the same issue. Main boards are back ordered. Finally got one, the tech comes out and the board is dead. Now I hear that the board probably won't solve the problem. I've been talking to tech support, about 6 calls over the last two months and they act like they have never heard of this problem. Boo, HP.

The great picture sold me, Now, known issues and poor tech support make me regret buying it. No more HP products for me.

Ok since the repair manual doesn't seem to be readily available, can someone direct me to where to find the 2 potentiometers to adjust in order to get rid of the random red pixels? Is it behind the small panel over where to connectors attach or do I have to remove the entire back side of it?

Has anyone had any luck finding discrete power codes for the 5060N yet?

Has anyone had any luck finding discrete power codes for the 5060N yet?
Is this what you are looking for?

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=1832458&lang=en&docname=c00760655

Yes between that and some PCF files on RemoteCentral I'm a happy camper. I'm now burning it in and enjoying the set.

I have the same issue. Main boards are back ordered. Finally got one, the tech comes out and the board is dead. Now I hear that the board probably won't solve the problem. I've been talking to tech support, about 6 calls over the last two months and they act like they have never heard of this problem. Boo, HP.

The great picture sold me, Now, known issues and poor tech support make me regret buying it. No more HP products for me.

Ok must be a timing issue. My problem showed up about a month ago, tried to tell myself it was a signal issue, but then started researching and found this thread. I called, and opened a case. They were familiar with my problem and told me they would order the parts and schedule a repair. Approx 1 week later (Wed) the repairman showed up with a huge box that had several smaller boxes. The problem with the TV had been getting progressively worse. He installed the larger board and when I asked he told me that 95% of the time this fixed it. I asked about what if it didn't and he said to call him and he would come back out. He would wait a week before he sent the other boards back so he spent .5 hours installing and was gone. I am shutting everything down to go into work .5 hours later and when I go to shut off the TV the whole screen now has the flaring and it is on just about every color. I call him back and 2 hours later he has installed the other two boards. So I haven't had the TV on much today, but have seen no issues, so am crossing my fingers. I talked to the guy and he said he would recommend that I get the extened warr while I still could because if this problem happened when it was out of warrenty it wouldn't be worth repairing. But he did say it is a small amount of sets affected, and that of all the sets he worked on, he really liked these. So we'll see what happens. If I don't post again about this then all is well.

Turns out it was the set...I had it replaced and the problem went away...

This may seem like a minor issue, but the power button on the actual set has become jammed. I cannot depress the button or move it around. It just seems "stuck" for lack of a better description. Thus, the button is inoperable, and I am forced to use the remote.

Is this something that is worth pursuing with HP? Will they actually send someone out to repair a jammed power button? I purchased the TV earlier this summer.

Thanks in advance for any helpful responses.

This may seem like a minor issue, but the power button on the actual set has become jammed. I cannot depress the button or move it around. It just seems "stuck" for lack of a better description. Thus, the button is inoperable, and I am forced to use the remote.

Is this something that is worth pursuing with HP? Will they actually send someone out to repair a jammed power button? I purchased the TV earlier this summer.

Thanks in advance for any helpful responses.
If the actaul switch is broken or jammed on the board behind the button, then you shoudl be able to get it repaired in-home by repalcing that LED/IR board behind the button. But if the plastic button is damged beyond use, then most liekly that is part of the complete bezel assembly and bezel repalcmetn does not usually occur in the home. Also you may run into repair costs that make this not reasonalbel as well...may need to keep using the remote.

What is the most up to date version of the firmware for the HP PL260n? My tv is 1.1.8. Is it version 1.3.1?

Thanks in advance for your quick response.

I think the latest revision may be v1.3.5

I had the HDMI / Motorola DCT 6416 HDCP issue (that has been previously discussed in this forum) back in April. That firmware revision fixed my problem.

(But now I am getting the flaring pixel problem that is so popular with this TV)

A tech will be replacing all of my TV's innards in the next couple of weeks so we'll see what, if any, revisions are within these replacement parts.

LA6507,

Thanks for your quick response. I am waiting for HP tech to come do the upgrade. Hopefully, that will help.

can anyone upload the manual , perhaps to rapidshare ? its a free upload .

After searching ,with several different key words, I can't find any posts re the current HP PL5072N, which has been out since March.
No owners of this model on the forum ? If no owners, any comments from members who have seen this set ?
Costco is now carrying it and the price is certainly attractive.

Any comments welcome !

Hello all, I bought my PL4260 back in Feb/March '07 and have had a great experience with it.

That being said.....tonight my wife and her friend were playing the Wii on it and after turning off the Wii, the TV sets screen went black. The power button still indicated that it was on but no reaction could be gained from using the remote or the side buttons on the TV.

At first I figured it might have over-heated and let it sit for a bit, but we've had it on much longer before without issue.

The power button still reacts the same as if nothing were wrong. It's red when off, purple when turning on, and blue when on. It still goes through this progression when turning on.....but no picture, not even the backlight and HP image.

Anyone seen anything like this?

So the Tech finally received the Main Board from HP except it wasn't the Main Board...they sent him the Video Board......faaaaaantastic.

So a week later the guy shows up with a huge box of parts and according to my wife (I was at work at the time) he replaced every damn electronic thing in the box.

Thankfully it worked and my set came right up and has been working fine since. But I have to ask the question.....how is this cost-effective for HP? the tech says he's been replacing parts for this tv all over the place. HP thought it was more worthwhile to send him out, at whatever insane rate I'm sure he charges, two separate times and with parts to build practically an entirely new TV? WTF?

If they're like Dell its b/c they don't have any way to take back stock so they'd rather fix your problem with parts then try to take it back...seems silly but I guess they don't want to have to deal with refurb units etc on their end.

Maybe someone here can help. I recently got this TV for a really cheap price. It used to be a floor model, then moved to the warehouse where it sat for a long time.

So, I notice that after about 5 minutes, the tv wont accept key presses on the remote or the TV it self. A few people suggested that it was in demo mode or something.

I reset the ROM in the service menu. And have called HP they think it's the main board. One thing I noticed that was when I was in the service menu, I didn't know how to get rid of it. But while it was in service mode for longer than 10 minutes I was able to use that menu.

Anyone have any ideas?

I think the latest revision may be v1.3.5

I had the HDMI / Motorola DCT 6416 HDCP issue (that has been previously discussed in this forum) back in April. That firmware revision fixed my problem.

(But now I am getting the flaring pixel problem that is so popular with this TV)

A tech will be replacing all of my TV's innards in the next couple of weeks so we'll see what, if any, revisions are within these replacement parts.
As many in this forum have already posted (and to no one's surprise) replacing the mainboard did not fix the flaring problem.
Two techs came out on Friday night and changed out the TV's main board. Within 10 minutes of their departure, the problem returned.
I did notice that the problem seems to occur after the TV has been on a while and it seems to occur when SD programs are viewed (even upconverted ones, regardlesss of the source, with the exception of XBox Media Center, which is set at 1080i, it is just amatter of time before the problem rears its ugly head)
I also noticed that the flaring problem shows up on TV's overlay menus.

Anyway, I called HP right after the techs left, and the CSR told me that this issue will be "escalated" (I feel special) and I will receive a call within 48 hours.

An interesting aside, the techs told me that they have many problems with these units and encouraged me to raise cane with HP corporate for a replacement set. I'd rather not have a refurb if it is not covered under my extended waranty (through Circuit City).

My issue is that I have always called HP directly for service (three times) and now I am concerned that when I call Circuit City (hopefully for a replacement) they will want to send more parts out. Has anyone been in this scenario with CIrcuit City? When this happens, would they be willing to replace the YV with another one?

I've had my set for over a year now. I only get the horizontal jittering problem when watching a DVD using compenant cables after the TV has been on for a while... so I used an s-video cable for the DVD, and the problem went away.

What's wierd is that if I run the component cables from my DVD player, and into my surround sound A/V reciever, the horizontal jittering come up within minutes!

I don't think I watch SD long enough for the horizontal jittering to come up again... seeing how they only come up for me when watching SD programming for 2+ hours.

On another note, does the firmware update fix that issue that 'causes the TV to darken when the image is too bright? (like when there is snow on a football field or the camera spans over an outdoor college football crowd on a sunny day)

Is there a way I can update the firmware myself? My 1 year warranty is up :p

I think the second pass will work. I had the exact same issue, they showed up with a huge box of parts, and when they only replaced one board, I asked what the others were for and he informed me that he now orders the extra parts and sends back what isn't needed because of the issue you described above. Sure enough 30 min after they left it was actually worse than before. I got lucky and when I called him he came back within an hour and replaced the other boards (2). This fixed the problem and the set is working fine now.

Hi guys. Long time since my last post. But I've noticed something recently.

I'm seeing a faint hotpink colored "snow" when my screen is entirely blank and black. I don't think it was there before.

Should I use the white wash? I don't view anything pillar boxed. I've been real good about watching SD broadcasts stretched so I haven't used the white wash even once (got the TV Jan '07). Would this help this issue?

Seems to be on every HD channel tonight. A bad cable (HDMI, not cable tv)? Bad night for the Satellite strength?

What would cause this? It's entirely gone once the TV begins to broadcast any type of picture.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Hi guys. Long time since my last post. But I've noticed something recently.

I'm seeing a faint hotpink colored "snow" when my screen is entirely blank and black. I don't think it was there before.

Should I use the white wash? I don't view anything pillar boxed. I've been real good about watching SD broadcasts stretched so I haven't used the white wash even once (got the TV Jan '07). Would this help this issue?

Seems to be on every HD channel tonight. A bad cable (HDMI, not cable tv)? Bad night for the Satellite strength?

What would cause this? It's entirely gone once the TV begins to broadcast any type of picture.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

I have noticed the same thing, I think some adjustments would fix it, but like you say, the pq is fine when a signal is displayed.

hi everyone. I am having some small (and hopefully fixable) technical issues with my pl4260n, and I was hopeing someone could help me resolve. I use my tv as a computer monitor. The screen size is 16/9 aspect, but the native resolution is 1024 x 768... this is a 4/3 aspect, meaning that there are rectangular pixels! I don't really have a problem with this as there are zoom functions that correct this problem for watching dvds but there is nothing I can do about it for everything else. for instance, when I browse the web, although everything is crystal clear, pictures are wider that they should be, or when I watch movies on demand in netflix, I can't zoom out the black bars on top and bottom of the image. I've tried changing resolutions in vista but I don't get the clairity i'd like. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated- thanks.

Can you get the PC to use 1366x768 or something close? That's what I use on my PL4260N (from a Mac.)

The black bars MAY be okay - lots of movies are not 16x9 (i.e. 1.78:1), they're more like 16x7 (often 2.35:1).

Doug

ok, so here it gets a little fuzzy for me... I connect the computer to the tv via a high end gaming video card- an nvidia 8800 gts 320 mb. there is a dvi output on the card, and I can use a dvi-hdmi cable, which is a digital-digital connection, or a dvi-vga cable, which is digital-analog. Strangely enough, I get a great picture on the dvi-vga and a terrible piture on the dvi-hdmi, even at the native resolution setting 1024 x 768. I tried the 1360 x 768 resolution with both cable setups, and when I connect via vga, the screen turns blue and it says "unknown source," and when I connect via hdmi, the screen displays fine and it is the right size, but as I said before, the quality is terrible.

Bummer. I'm using DVI-to-VGA from the Mac, but that's mostly because the HDMI port on the PL4260N is being used by an up-converting DVD player. I get great quality at 1366x768 from the Mac, and great video also from the STB, the DVD player, etc. Can you try some mix-and-match - different PC to this TV, this PC on a different TV, etc.? What resolutions does the PC think the TV has, and are any better than others?

Doug

EK429AA , HP HDTV PL4260N
| D.O.P. 9.24.06 | SW Version 1.1.8 | Ser.No. CNH623xxxx
Sunday, 07-26-07 @ 9:25 am. Initial call made to HP Tech support & reported the Red pixel flaring issue, on upper & lower 1/3 of screen. I was advised a service order was written, and number assigned to my case. Date of 08-13-07 to replace main board, between 8:00am & 12 noon.
Monday, 08-13-07, 11:20am, Tech called and said he'd be late.
At 8:10 PM he called and apologized for not being able to make it, and we rescheduled for the next day, between 1 & 5 PM.
Tuesday, 08-14-07, I called him at 4:50 PM, to see if he was going to come out, Left phone mail, on his phone. At 5:00PM, Tech returned phone call, stating that the replacement parts were not at the fed-ex drop area, and that they had released the parts to another service Tech. The Tech then made a phone call to HP, arranging a 3-way conference call, they came to the agreement that another replacement board would be ordered. Expected delivery date of August 20th.
Monday, 08-20-07, after 5:00PM, and nobody showing up, I checked on-line and found that the parts were shipped overnight, from TN, and have been sitting at the Fed-EX drop site since the 15th of August.
Tuesday, 08-21-07, 8:30AM, Contacted HP Tech support, they initiated 3-way conference call, with Tech and myself, Tech to come out today, between 1 & 5 PM. To replace mainboard.
3:00PM, Tech arrived, replaced board, and problem still exists. (new Software Version 1.3.5) After waiting on hold for almost half an hour, HP is going to send a board replacement kit and see if that helps.
Monday 08-27-07, Tech came out, replaced all boards that were in the board replacement kit. The problem still exists. Replacement set has been ordered. Expected Delivery Date:10/04/2007
Wednesday, 09-26-07, 2:50PM Tech came out, replaced set with new one. The red pixels are gone!! (New Software Version 1.3.5) Ser. # CNH629xxxx
Checked back with HP on warranty of replacement set and was advised it is only 90 days.

Well, they wound up replacing the 42", with a 50" plasma, with a full one year warranty, and life is good again. But this didn't happen until Jan of '08.

well, I just upgraded my video card from an x1650 pro ati, and that card had the same clarity issue using dvi-hdmi. I've never tried anything else in the hdmi port, or the computer on a different monitor, but I'll look into that. Also, all the standard screen resolutions show up in both my nvidia controls and on my vista display settings, I've tried all of them and the only one that looks good is the 1024 x 768 stretched using dvi-vga.

I have noticed the same thing, I think some adjustments would fix it, but like you say, the pq is fine when a signal is displayed.

It seems to be gone now, could have been an issue with reception.

well, I just upgraded my video card from an x1650 pro ati, and that card had the same clarity issue using dvi-hdmi. I've never tried anything else in the hdmi port, or the computer on a different monitor, but I'll look into that. Also, all the standard screen resolutions show up in both my nvidia controls and on my vista display settings, I've tried all of them and the only one that looks good is the 1024 x 768 stretched using dvi-vga.

Try setting up a custom rez and refresh rate in the Nvidia Control panel. (I'm describing this in the old mode, not the new one that uses windows screens).

Right click desktop/
Properties/
Settings Tab/
Advanced
Click on the tab with the name of you Video Card on it.
A side Panel should pop out.
On that SidePanel highlight "Screen Resolutions and Refresh Rates".
Once taken to that screen at the bottom is a section called "Custom Resolutions and Refresh rates"
Click Add
Now here's the trick, a warning from Nvida will come up that you need to agree to, but the buttons to do so will be grayed out. You need to scroll down the warning as if you've read it all, then the "agree" or "disagree" buttons will not be grayed out anymore.

I do suggest you read it and understand what you doing, because this section allows you to push out refresh rates and resolutions that could be beyond what you card and/or monitor is capable of handling. Your on your own if anything bad happens

Click "agree"

Now you'll have a pop up panel where the relevant information can be entered. Screen resolution (height and width), Refresh Rate, Color Quality.

Fill out the information with in the capabilities of your TV. Which should be (but double check) 1366x768 @ 60Hertz for the HP PL5060N. I guess 32 bit color would be fine, but I'm not sure.

Click Add.

Now I believe you need to check the box in the "Custom Resolutions and Refresh rates" that says "Only show custom modes".

Unless you've got that 8800 in a minimal system PC it should be able to push the full native for the HP PL5060N no problem.

For gaming (depending on the game) often times the resolution and refresh rate can be added to the short cut of the exe. for the game.

For instance with BF2 you can put this as the target of the short cut and it will force the game to play in a resolution that fills your TV:

"C:\Program Files\EA Games\Battlefield 2\BF2.exe" +menu 1 +fullscreen 1 +szx 1366 +szy 768

Even though BF2 doesn't have WS resolutions as options. What ever game your playing there's probably as similar "tweak" that can be done to make it display in the native 1366x768 resolution of the HP TVs.

Good Luck.

I sent a post to this forum back in July about pixel flaring. The tech came out replaced the main board and like many others, the problem did not return until a few minutes after the tech left the house and now it is worse than before. I called HP back was rerouted several time and then hung-up on. I had to leave and couldn't call them back immediately. I finally had some time to call back the other day and they are sending more parts to another tech who is supposed to come out today.
For those of you who have had entire sets replaced, are the giving you another HP PL4260N or the HP PL4272N?

I too have had the red pixel flaring issue. HP came out once to swap out one part. A few minutes after the HP tech left, the issue came back... Actually, it came back even worse. I called HP support again and referenced the "avsforums" and how many people are having the same issue that I do. The HP tech on the phone placed me on hold while he reviewed something. He then came back and said he would talk to his supervisor about sending me a replacement out. A couple hours later I got an email saying they are sending another tv out on 10/19. I'll let you know if they give me another pl4260n or PL4272N.


-Phil

Unless they specify the model number of the tv when talking to you, it will be a new or refurbished 4260N model.

My first tv had 3 different repairs on it (for a loud buzzing noise). Nothing worked, so the tech authorized a replacement of a new or "like new" television. It took 25 days for the replacement to show up. During this waiting period, the wife and I were watching a show - suddenly, there was a pop...and bye bye display. The whole thing was fried. Finally, a week later, the replacement showed up - it was another 4260N.

Everything was hooked up and at least there was a picture. Later, I discovered faint horizontal lines across the bottom half of the screen. Great. Made a call, and a week later, a tech came by to replace the Y-board panel. Problem persisted. So when the tech contacted HP, I told them I wanted a NEW tv since I have had 4 different repairs on 2 tv's of the same model (4260N). They then deferred me to a case manager.

2 days later, I got in contact with a case manager (I had to call, 48 hours had passed and no one called me). In a calm matter, I discussed that there is no way I would accept anything less than a new tv. I explained the time out of work I had to be at home while none of the repairs helped the situation I had. He took a look at the repair history, agreed with me, and offered the 4272N with a new warranty. I accepted. It comes in about a week and a half.

So...we'll see...I just want a TV that works...:)

I'll give an update after the situation has been resolved.

I sent a post to this forum back in July about pixel flaring. The tech came out replaced the main board and like many others, the problem did not return until a few minutes after the tech left the house and now it is worse than before. I called HP back was rerouted several time and then hung-up on. I had to leave and couldn't call them back immediately. I finally had some time to call back the other day and they are sending more parts to another tech who is supposed to come out today.
For those of you who have had entire sets replaced, are the giving you another HP PL4260N or the HP PL4272N?

They replaced mine with the same model PL4260N. So far its working great.:)

Hello All,

Have any of you had a problem getting sound from the HP PL4260N to transfer to the surround sound system. I get plenty of sound from the center speaker and the right channel but none from the left channel. I am using RCA cables to send the sound from TV to the receiver out to the surround sound speakers. Should I be using a digital audio cable to accomplish this task?

Sean

hey all
I was wondering if there is anyone out there who has connected their
pl4260n to a computer using a dvi output and the tv's hdmi input and gotten good results. If you have tried that and had it work like a champ, or if you have tried and gotten terrible picture quality like I have, please let me know! thanks

Like many we experienced the flaring issue with our PL4260N. After a number of unsuccessful on-site repair attempts, they decided to replace the TV. The replacement was a PL4272N. Our opinion is that the picture quality of the 4060 is much better than the 4272 in both SD and HD. The 4272 is much softer (and no amount of sharpening corrects it). Dark colors are blotchy. It also appears to process images much slower. What have others seen with this model?

I am getting serious lip sync / video delay problems with my HP PL4260N TV.
TV software version is 1.3.5.

When watching unscrambled digital channels directly off of cable (such as PBSHD 113-3 WENH-DT - Durham, NH /and/ FOXHD 113-1 WFXT-DT - Boston, MA) after a few minutes the audio and video drift out of sync. In some cases I would guess that the delay is half a second or more, it is not ignorable. Interestingly, if I change the channel and then change back the problem is fixed - for example; while watching HD Channel 113-1 (Fox, 720P) after a few minutes the lip sync gets really bad (audio ahead of video), so I press the up channel button which takes me to channel 113-2 (ABC, 720P) then I press the down channel button to go back to Channel 113-1 and the lip sync problem is gone, this seems to prove to me that the problem is not with the cable company but with the TV itself. Unfortunately the video delay/lip sync problem re-appears a few minutes later.


HP's email support had many rationalizations, ranging from statements such as "the TV cannot receive digital channels without a set top box :mad:" to "it is a problem with Comcast :rolleyes:". Clearly if changing channels fixes the problem it cannot be Comcast's problem.


I am using the TV's "dumbo ear" speakers. I am not using a set top box or a surround sound system. The coax is plugged directly into the TV - when I press the info button I see 9 green / 2 red bars on the signal-strength meter.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Has anyone seen anything like this? I am just about ready to return the TV to BestBuy and get a DLP.

What should I do? :confused:

...fraser

OK I have the red flaring issue also and have called HP Support. 800-HP-INVENT

Talked with a rep named Kevin we went through the usual level 1 tech fixes. Nothing.....

He set up a tech to come out on November 3rd to replace the panel and everything inside it. Will keep you guys updated.

Kevin never heard of this issue?!?!?!?!?!?

UPDATE JUST RECEIVED EMAIL WITH THE FOLLOWING:


Hewlett-Packard Customer Service Order:

Customer Service Order Number: LLA102-01
CSO Placement Date: 10/22/2007

Model Number: EK429AA
Model Description: HP HDTV PL4260N
Serial Number: ***********
Part Number: 5070-2406
Part Description:

Panel board Kit - For 42-inch digital televisio

You selected the following Hewlett-Packard
Hardware Support Service for your product:

IN HOME TV SERVICE WITH RETURNABLE PART

Warranty Status: In Warranty

Total charge (including tax, if applicable): $0.00
Payment Method: No Payment

I have hooked up my 360 to my PL4260N via the VGA connection. I've set the resolution to 1368 x 768 and Standard video. It looks a little washed out when I also have the TV set as "Standard." Should I change the resolution to 1280 x 768, and make an adjustment to the video on the 360, and/or make some adjustments via the TV?

hey all
I was wondering if there is anyone out there who has connected their
pl4260n to a computer using a dvi output and the tv's hdmi input and gotten good results. If you have tried that and had it work like a champ, or if you have tried and gotten terrible picture quality like I have, please let me know! thanks

I have my Vista Media Center PC connected to the TV using a DVI to HDMI cable... The picture looks great to me... The desktop resolution is set to 1024x768... When Media Center launches, the resolution switches to 720p and the image quality is great.... Hope that helps....

yeah that makes me feel a little better. I finally got an hp technician to come and take a look at the problem, and hp sent out the wrong boards, which he swapped out only to find the tv even more busted than before he had arrived. He left appologetically and said he'd be back in 3 days to fix it, and 3 days later he showed up and told me that hp had sent the wrong part again, and that the one we need was months out on back order. So, now they're sending me a new set, and hopefully that will work.

Update on my case.....

HP came to my house on Saturday Oct 26th around 11:00am. The tech went ahead and replaced every board. After about 1.5hrs of work we power it up and no picture at all except about 2" on the bottom. As bummed out as I was we both were not surprised. So we came to a conclusion to put back in the original boards I had, as at least I had a picture with those boards.

Another 1.5hrs later in labor power it up................ DEAD!!! TV will not even turn on nothing...... nada.

She called up Tech to document the issue. The tech said that they will be sending out another set of boards. I went ahead and turned down that offer real quick as this is my third service call and pretty fed up with the PR.

The on-phone tech then escalated the issue to a service manager that is the head of the food group if you will in tech support. This is where they can give the go ahead for a new TV or money back.

I requested this because I am also not going to deal with a refurbished TV with a 90 day warranty. After all I did buy this TV when it first released for $1800.00!!!!!! If I spent the $800 I would be a little more understanding.


So all in all we will see what the service manager has to say when he calls within 48 business hours.


Also anyone have any feeling on the 72-76 series?

Keep you guys updated............

On a side note I have to say the on-site service tech was very very informative and def on the end users side!!!

Update on HP repair.

Case manager called today. To sum it all up I got hung up on. There is was no reason to hang up on me I never swore or even raised my voice just talked very stern and to the point.

The Case Manager's name was Dan. I had to have my girlfriend call back to get him back on the phone. We came to an agreement that he will be sending a refurb of the same tv. (Info Below)

Current status
Hewlett-Packard is currently preparing to ship your replacement product to you. The ship date, ship method, and courier are listed below. If you have not received your product please track it below by clicking here. Once you receive it, look for the "Open Me First" packet and follow the instructions given. To avoid being billed for the replacement product, your defective product must be returned to HP within three business days of receipt of the replacement.

Expected Delivery Date:11/14/2007

The date referenced above is the most current date available to us. This is the same date available through customer service. For questions or concerns regarding the expected delivery date, please contact customer service using the phone number listed in the Contact HP section.

Tracking information
Product return shipment (to HP) Pick up date: not applicable to your service
Track the shipment to HP:
Replacement product shipment
(to you)

Scheduled Ship Date:
not yet shipped

Defective Unit Receive Date:
not yet received

Shipping Method:
MANNA TRUCK LINES

Track your shipment:

Order summary
Order number:
LNK307 - 01
Entry date / time:
10/29/2007 2:29pm PT
Model number:
EK429AA , HP HDTV PL4260N
Serial number:
************

Replacement serial number:
Order type:IN HOME UNIT REPLACEMENT WITH INSTALLATION
Failure : MALFUNCTIONING
Warranty status:
in warranty
Service charge:
$0.00
Payment method:
not applicable

He told me if the TV has not shipped by the 5th that I will get a Brand New TV of my choice as it will be their fault once again.

Lets see and will keep you guys updated.

I also have the flaring issue, but unfortunately I am out of warranty. I called tech support to find out if they have got a handle on what is causing the issue and he told me it was the power board and that alot of people in the Southern states have electrical issues that are causing it. Did anybody else get this response? Did anybody have the power board replaced and it did not fix the issue?

Another question I have for the folks who are having flaring issues, did you guys have the tv set to power up faster or not?

I had all the boards replaced in my TV and nothing. Actually made it worse.....

As for power up I had it set to load FAST.

How far are you out of warranty?