Now that we have a few members who have purchased the new HP PL4260N and PL5060N plasmas, I thought we should go ahead and start a new thread for owners to report their experiences, impressions, settings, pros, cons, problem resolutions, etc....

I know there are other threads on this site related to speculation and general conversation about these two PDP's. Let's try to keep this thread dedicated to personal experience to help both owners and potential buyers alike.

I think some members are getting their sets this week. I look forward to seeing your reviews and comments! I will hopefully be able to do the same very soon :D

Good idea.

When companies rebrand/OEM plasmas, is it fair to say that the pictures will be the same between the parent set (LG) and it's children (HP, maybe Mitsubishi?), or do companies like HP add any special sauce to differentiate it? Not speaking of cabinets unless they were remarkably ugly or beautiful.

Now that we have a few members who have purchased the new HP PL4260N and PL5060N plasmas, I thought we should go ahead and start a new thread for owners to report their experiences, impressions, settings, pros, cons, problem resolutions, etc....

I know there are other threads on this site related to speculation and general conversation about these two PDP's. Let's try to keep this thread dedicated to personal experience to help both owners and potential buyers alike.

I think some members are getting their sets this week. I look forward to seeing your reviews and comments! I will hopefully be able to do the same very soon :D

Got my PL5060N delivered this morning. Some first impression comments:

1. The set looks very nice, even after I attached the dumbo ear speakers. When I have my sound system setup again, I will probably unhook the dumbo ears.
2. The built in analog tuner is terrible, much worse than the one in the Toshiba plasma. Fortunately the HD tuner is very good.
3. I don't know what to look for, but so far I don't see what people refer to as false contouring, or clay face, or anything like that.

I only have OTA HD and an upconvert DVD player signal right now but both look gorgeous on this TV. The one thing I do not understand is the audio. Why is it that when I am on an analog channel, I would get a much fuller/louder sound through the speakers, but when I switch to a HD broadcast or when I watch a DVD, the sonud level is so much lower, not as "full", and I would have to crank the volume up higher to get the same level of volume. It does sound different than the analog channel. When I had the Toshiba TV before it was not that way. Anybody have any idea why ? I will call HP tomorrow to ask them.

The difference in vol. is a normal thing, it has to do with analog vs digital

Got my PL5060N delivered this morning. Some first impression comments:

1. The set looks very nice, even after I attached the dumbo ear speakers. When I have my sound system setup again, I will probably unhook the dumbo ears.
2. The built in analog tuner is terrible, much worse than the one in the Toshiba plasma. Fortunately the HD tuner is very good.
3. I don't know what to look for, but so far I don't see what people refer to as false contouring, or clay face, or anything like that.

I only have OTA HD and an upconvert DVD player signal right now but both look gorgeous on this TV. The one thing I do not understand is the audio. Why is it that when I am on an analog channel, I would get a much fuller/louder sound through the speakers, but when I switch to a HD broadcast or when I watch a DVD, the sonud level is so much lower, not as "full", and I would have to crank the volume up higher to get the same level of volume. It does sound different than the analog channel. When I had the Toshiba TV before it was not that way. Anybody have any idea why ? I will call HP tomorrow to ask them.
Butette,

I have the same difference in volume when switching between SD and HD channels on an LCD. In this case, all of my channels (SD, HD, and OTA HD) are going through an HD TIVO. I'm not sure if the volume difference is a much as you described, but it's noticable and often forces me to turn down the volume when jumping from HD to SD.

Any chance you can post some pics?

Thanks!

Isn't it odd that HP published the SERVICE manual on its web site.Its an unbelievable asset to anyone who owns one of these.

Any one have pictures of this 50" in their house? I'm debating on this TV. Either save money and get the HP. Or splurge and get the Pioneer.

Anyone know what remote codes the HP's use? I want to make sure my Tivo / ReplayTV remotes will work with it.

Anyone know what remote codes the HP's use? I want to make sure my Tivo / ReplayTV remotes will work with it.Someone in the other current New HP thread said the trouble shooting section of the PL4260N owners manual says it uses Philips remote codes. Subject to verification.

See Post #23 in this HP Thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=664363)

On my HP LC2600N, i tried using codes for various manufacturers in an attempt to get my SA8300HD's remote to operate the HP but so far nothing has worked. Maybe HP learned from the previous generation TVs and aquired supported codes this time.

Just an FYI - my local BB has both the PL4260N and PL5060N on display. If anyone is considering these sets, you may want to check your BB. Unfortunately, I was alone with my 9 month old daughter who wasn't interested in Dad's attempt to play with the settings.

Asthetics were quite fine IMO. I didn't really think the speakers made the TV look bad at all. I plan on ditching those when my set comes in anyways...but they look fine.

The PQ was tough to judge since my BB had the two sets on an end-cap away from any other plasmas. From what I could tell, the PQ was very good -- despite the fact that BB had the contrast and brightness down a bit too low. This particular end-cap faces the entire store with lots of ambient light. I think PQ would have looked better had the sets been placed along with the other PDP's.

Still looking forward to seeing my own PL4260N soon. The BB experience has me even more excited to get my TV. I was a bit nervous buying something that had no reviews and that I hadn't seen with my own eyes. I could see the PL4260N and PL5060N as soon as I walked in the store and I was almost afraid to walk up to the displays in fear that I would realize my purchase was a bad mistake. I can sleep well tonight!

Any one have pictures of this 50" in their house? I'm debating on this TV. Either save money and get the HP. Or splurge and get the Pioneer.

I do, if you can tell me how to upload it to this thread.

I do, if you can tell me how to upload it to this thread.

I'm looking forward to seeing these also.

I do, if you can tell me how to upload it to this thread.You can upload them to your own AVS Photo Gallery then include the link to the pics in your post.

Like This (http://gallery.avsforum.com/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/60995)

Any one have pictures of this 50" in their house? I'm debating on this TV. Either save money and get the HP. Or splurge and get the Pioneer.

OK, here's one (http://gallery.avsforum.com/showphoto.php/photo/20465/cat/502)

Any more sighting of this set? For those of you that got the set, could you give more detail as far as brightness, black level, color on the set. Also please give more pictures. Thanks.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Depending on the model of upconverting DVD you go with, you may be forced to use the HDMI port for the DVD player - at least if you want 720p or 1080i output (though some units have hacks available to disable HDCP and allow HD signals through the component outs). The other option is to just use component out for the DVD and "live" with a 480p signal. I have the RCA DRC8060N, and though there is a noticable difference between 480p and 720p - it's not much, and the difference depends a lot on the content.

Also, you may find that using component with the HR10-250 looks better anyway, as that is the case at my house. In addition, I found that using HDMI with the HR10-250 caused it to flake-out alot, so I elected to use my one and only HDMI port for the DVD player. One disadvantage I have found with that setup is that the zoom features on my set don't work nearly as well when I was using HDMI, but that's probably a limitation of the TV.

Congrats on a successful purchase!

There is a setting that lets you select quick start-up, or slower, slower uses less power while in stand-by. Could you comment on sd picture quality?

Lumberg -

Could you record the HDNet Test Pattern and report how far the tv overscans? If you have time doing this over both HDMI and component would be good. I don't see an overscan setting in the service manual, so how bad the default is would be good to know.

Any chance of hooking your PC up and letting us know the results?

There is a setting that lets you select quick start-up, or slower, slower uses less power while in stand-by. Could you comment on sd picture quality?
SD looks suprisingly good. My 42" LCD did not cope well with SD. I watched a little bit of The Hunt For Red October on SD (HBO) and was pleasantly suprised at how well it looked. I also sampled TNT a bit but only caught some commercials. PQ on these commercials wasn't great but certainly tolerable. I also watched a little VH1 and found the PQ good there too.

From what I could tell, some stations looked better than others. Overall, I'd say that SD quality is good. I'll need to watch a bit more to give you a better answer. Maybe if I get a chance I'll post some pictures comparing SD and HD versions of the same show (i.e. CSI on 9 and CSI on 9-1).

Lumberg -

Could you record the HDNet Test Pattern and report how far the tv overscans? If you have time doing this over both HDMI and component would be good. I don't see an overscan setting in the service manual, so how bad the default is would be good to know.

Any chance of hooking your PC up and letting us know the results?
I'll try to remember to setup the TIVO to record it tonight and get back to you some time tomorrow on that. I have never used the HDNet test pattern. So, I'm hoping I'll know what to look for:)

The only PC I'd be in a position to hook-up would be an older Compaq Tablet I just use to surf the web when I'm in my family room -- nothing fancy. I wouldn't expect to get any great results since it doesn't have a robust video processor. Would that work?

Does anybody know if they are still using rebranded Pannasonics? I noticed that the numbering equals the new 60u panasonics...

Does anybody know if they are still using rebranded Pannasonics? I noticed that the numbering equals the new 60u panasonics...
I have the whole service manual, it is for sure an LG

SD looks suprisingly good. My 42" LCD did not cope well with SD. I watched a little bit of The Hunt For Red October on SD (HBO) and was pleasantly suprised at how well it looked. I also sampled TNT a bit but only caught some commercials. PQ on these commercials wasn't great but certainly tolerable. I also watched a little VH1 and found the PQ good there too.

From what I could tell, some stations looked better than others. Overall, I'd say that SD quality is good. I'll need to watch a bit more to give you a better answer. Maybe if I get a chance I'll post some pictures comparing SD and HD versions of the same show (i.e. CSI on 9 and CSI on 9-1).
Thanks for the reply, as to sd pq I have Dishnetwork and even on my Toshiba 4x3 hdtv some of the sd stations leave a lot to be desired, others are what I would call near HD quality, buy the way, I sent you a PM.

I'll try to remember to setup the TIVO to record it tonight and get back to you some time tomorrow on that. I have never used the HDNet test pattern. So, I'm hoping I'll know what to look for:)

The only PC I'd be in a position to hook-up would be an older Compaq Tablet I just use to surf the web when I'm in my family room -- nothing fancy. I wouldn't expect to get any great results since it doesn't have a robust video processor. Would that work?

I think there's a narrator on the HDNet test pattern. I believe it's the resolution test pattern that has the overscan 2,4,6,8 hashmarks on every edge to show what % it's overscanning.

Any computer hooked up to it would be great - just to see how clear or fuzzy the desktop looks, since the set will have to scale to 1024x768 16:9. Try 1366x768 or 1280x720 and see how it looks. You may have to install PowerStrip (http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/ps.shtm) to get those resolutions.

Here are a few screen shots of my PL4260N. I'm not very good at capturing screen shots accurately. The photo from the movie Constantine is a pretty poor rendition of the actual screen. The flash washes out some of the dark colors and gives the scene a much lighter appearance. My contrast and brightness are both at 47 right now.

Where? the pics??

I had no idea there were size limitations. Sorry about that. I really had to shrink these down in order meet the size restrictions.

Here's another....

Very nice, but I didn't see any sign of a flash from your camera..

Whats the chances of a pic of one of your poorer sd stations, when your done with that movie.

Sure...that's the beauty of TIVO! I really haven't watched enough SD to know what stations are poorer than others just yet. Here's a sampling of what I found...

1). TNT which I feel has good PQ
2). HBO which has good PQ as well
3). Local NBC news with decent PQ but not great
4). Local CBS news with what I felt was worst SD PQ. ***I'll put this in a followup post since I'm limited to three attachments.

I am using the Zoom-2 setting on my TV. Per my earlier posts, my provider is DirecTV. When not zooming, the PQ is better.

Just an FYI - what you're seeing on the screen in many of these photos is the reflection of some toddler toys on my floor. The flash really brings out any item reflecting off the screen. For example, if you look at the first picture from TNT (Law and Order) you'll see some odd shapes on the left hand side of the screen. That's my 9 month old daughter's excersaucer:) and not any crazy artifacts

Here's the fourth pic. These four photos are great examples of how the Zoom-2 will look. I really cuts off the top and bottom as you can tell from my TIVO status bar or the station logos. Not the greatest, but I'll live with it for a while as I break-in the TV.

I'm really impressed, and I know what you mean about zoomed not as sharp as native res. I have a habit of zooming HD on my 32" 4x3, sometimes it is fine, other times not so good. Thanks loads for the pictures.

Very nice, but I didn't see any sign of a flash from your camera..
The only way to avoid the flash from appearing like the north star is to take the picture at an angle. Doing this at least keeps the flash itself out of the picture. The problem is that the ambient light created by the flash does wash out the screen a bit. This wasn't as much of a problem on my Sunrise Earth shots as it was for the Constantine shot. That Constantine pic has a haze to it that was the result of the flash. You'll have to take my word that the actual scene was much sharper and had better black levels.

Have you tried a shot without flash, seems like that would work?

Thanks loads for the pictures.

No problem! Glad I can help. My last HD purchase (before the HP) was for an LCD that was brand new with no personal reviews at all. I took a risk buying it and was ultimately dissapointed.

I'm more than happy to arm any potential HP PDP buyer with as much info as possible before they make their purchase. I'm definitely satisfied so far, but other buyers may feel differently based on my posts and pics. Hey, that's as American as apple pie :D

No problem! Glad I can help. My last HD purchase (before the HP) was for an LCD that was brand new with no personal reviews at all. I took a risk buying it and was ultimately dissapointed.

I'm more than happy to arm any potential HP PDP buyer with as much info as possible before they make their purchase. I'm definitely satisfied so far, but other buyers may feel differently based on my posts and pics. Hey, that's as American as apple pie :D

Thanks for the info. I too have sprung for one of the HP 50 inchers sight unseen. Quite a stretch for this normally careful buyer, but after looking at the competition (including the LG models), I figured it was worth the risk.

Here are a few screen shots of my PL4260N. I'm not very good at capturing screen shots accurately. The photo from the movie Constantine is a pretty poor rendition of the actual screen. The flash washes out some of the dark colors and gives the scene a much lighter appearance. My contrast and brightness are both at 47 right now.

One complaint I have about this set so far is that it does not have a zoom fill mode like the Toshiba. For example on digital broadcast (non HD) you are stuck with watching with the black bar on the side, no way to zoom fill the screen. SD broadcast on the digital channle looks very good, but SD broadcast on the analog channel looks terrible to me, I am guessing the built NTSC tuner is not very good.

Here's the fourth pic. These four photos are great examples of how the Zoom-2 will look. I really cuts off the top and bottom as you can tell from my TIVO status bar or the station logos. Not the greatest, but I'll live with it for a while as I break-in the TV.

That is strange... on my PL5060N, the Zoom-2 will not fill the screen when I try to zomm fill a digital broadcast (non HD) received on the OTA HD channel.

Any opinions on how this compares to the PL5000 - reason being is that the old more expensive PL500 is being clearenced a to a local store for the same price as the PL5060.

I like the sd card inputs on the PL5000 but how does the old Panasonic screen stack up to the newer gen LG???

Thanks

Any opinions on how this compares to the PL5000 - reason being is that the old more expensive PL500 is being clearenced a to a local store for the same price as the PL5060.

I like the sd card inputs on the PL5000 but how does the old Panasonic screen stack up to the newer gen LG???

Thanks
Unfortunately, I can't offer a comparison since I had no personal experience with the outgoing HP PDP's. If you simply look at the specs on paper, the Panny based displays have more colors and better gradiation than the new models. Have you checked your BB to see if they have the new 4260N or 5060N on display?

Any opinions on how this compares to the PL5000 - reason being is that the old more expensive PL5000 is being clearenced a to a local store for the same price as the PL5060.

I like the sd card inputs on the PL5000 but how does the old Panasonic screen stack up to the newer gen LG???I would imagine that the PL5000 will have better PQ than the 5060. It's pretty well agreed that the Panny panel looks better than any LG panel. HP has taken a step backwards by using the LG glass, but i presume they weren't able to source Panny glass this year so they had no choice but to go with someone else. I wonder just how much better the older model looks compared to the newer one? Is the difference slight or substantial?

Hello folks,

I just received the 50" HP PL5060N Plasma TV today. Needless to say, I am super excited :D . I hooked up the HDMI to DVI and the picture quality was awesome. I cannot compare it to other sets since this is my first, but I was pretty happy overall. The TV came within a week and the deliver guys (North American Home Lines) were terrific. They hooked up the stand and the speakers. The mounting unit + wiring came via FedEx Home Delivery and that turned out to be a hassle because they their terminals are different from the regular FedEx terminals and I had to take a 1/2 day off to make sure I was home to receive this stuff. But hey, no complaints so far.

What was very impressive about this set was that while the analog channels were not as clear as the digital ones, they were pretty good. Unfortunately I had to watch the TV via the component cables because the voice was not available via the HDMI-DVI cable and I do not have a home theatre system (yet).

I was planning on holding back on the home theatre for some time, but after setting the TV, the audio that comes with this TV does not do justice to its excellent video capabilities. So, I am in the market for a Home Theatre system for around $ 1000 and could really use your help.

I am a novice in the audio area. I never owned one before and this will be my first experience at it. So, please forgive me for asking the below beginner questions. I read some of the older posts in the audio section where the Athena B1.2 speakers and the HK 240 receiver with the Dannon sub seem to be highly recommended. I plan to mount the TV on top of the fire place. The living room is about 17 x 18 but the TV can also be seen from the nook and kitchen area. Because of this set up, I was planning on going with wall mountable speakers. From the pictures I saw, the B1.2 speakers seem to be book shelf speakers and are not wall mountable.

From what I can understand by reading the posts, I would need the following components to set up a decent home theatre.

Speakers (5 or 7)
Receiver
Sub Woofer
DVD player

If any of you experts recommend, I probably can set the front speakers on a book shelf, but the rear ones need to go on the wall :confused: . Can you please suggest the combination that you would recommend for normal TV viewing and occasionally music listening.

Let me know if you want me to run any tests or anything on the TV and I will post the results.

Best Regards

phani119,

Congrats on the purchase! You 50" guys are making me feel inferior :eek: If you can afford it, you may want to consider a receiver that has built-in HDMI switching. They're fairly expensive, but it will give you more flexibility moving forward since the TV has only one HMDI input.

Enjoy the TV!

Unfortunately, I can't offer a comparison since I had no personal experience with the outgoing HP PDP's. If you simply look at the specs on paper, the Panny based displays have more colors and better gradiation than the new models. Have you checked your BB to see if they have the new 4260N or 5060N on display?

Yes, I have seen the newer models at BB; however, I have not seen them side by side - I do like the looks of the 5000 better but I cannot compare the glass - I cannot discern if the LG is a newer gen that performs better than the outgoing 50u panny glass.

I have the itch to buy, but don't want to make a stupid mistake!

Hey Lumberg,
Thanks for the pics. I am seriously thinking about getting this panel after looking at your pics :-)
Sadly, none of my local BB stores have these units on display :mad:
BTW, the hot air balloon pics, is that a HD feed?

Thanks Lumberg,

What are the chances of being able to buy a receiver with built-in HDMI switching and the rest of the components for around a grand, and if so any recommendations here? Also, could you give me some advice on the brand and make of the other componenets you would recommend based on my room situation.

Thanks

I thought someone posted that he bought the Pioneer elite 74 at BB just about that price.

Is HP Shopping charging sales tax?

Yes, they are charging sales tax but no shipping, which about washes it out. B&M will get you for both.

Is HP Shopping charging sales tax?

Yes, HP does charge sales tax for the TV and components for the state they are shipping to. There is no sales tax on extended warranty though.

There are probably much better people to answer this question than me. You may want to search other threads for advice.

I can tell you that the JVC RX-D702B, Yamaha RX-V1600, and Onkyo TX-SR803 are probably the least expensive name brand receivers with HDMI switching. All three will accept two HDMI inputs and one output (for your TV). Check out some online sources for pricing. You can definitely get these receivers for less than a grand, but your leftovers may not be enough for good speakers.

The HDMI switching is just a suggestion. You can definitely get a better deal on a receiver without that functionality. You can also buy an external HDMI switch in the future if you need more HDMI inputs.

How is the black level on these panels?

How is the black level on these panels?

I just had it turned on for like a couple of hours and so far the black levels seem to be pretty good. I will post a note if I find otherwise.

Any opinions on how this compares to the PL5000 - reason being is that the old more expensive PL500 is being clearenced a to a local store for the same price as the PL5060.

I like the sd card inputs on the PL5000 but how does the old Panasonic screen stack up to the newer gen LG???

Thanks


Anyone seen the two together??

Here's the fourth pic. These four photos are great examples of how the Zoom-2 will look. I really cuts off the top and bottom as you can tell from my TIVO status bar or the station logos. Not the greatest, but I'll live with it for a while as I break-in the TV.

How did you do these attachments? I have pix I want to attach without going the posting to my photo gallery and linking route.

I am the proud owner of an HP PL4260n. But I'm a newbie in the Plasma world. Thank you all for this forum thread. I too have noticed the difference in volume from DVD (lower volume) to satellite channels (higher volume). I guess its normal because of the Digital and Analog feeds. But I look forward to sharing my experience with all of you. Till next time....

Welcome to AVS, and please add your experiences with that new plasma of yours.

I just got back from Bestbuy. They were in the middle of setting up the new HP PL5060N when I got there. Pictures quality looks really good. It was setup next to 50" a Sasumg, Philips, 2 LGs, and a 60" Pioneer. Out of all the screens it was next to, I thought the HP had best PQ. Color out of the box was very good. The black levels were not as good as the Pioneer. My biggest complaint asthetics of the speakers. I miss the glossy finish of the previous model.

But for the price... it pretty much shot up to the top of my list.

How did you do these attachments? I have pix I want to attach without going the posting to my photo gallery and linking route.
If you want to do an attachment to your post, make sure you're in the "Go Advanced" mode below the text box. It's the button next to "Post Quick Reply"

Once you're in the advanced mode, you'll see a section below the text screen called "Additional Options". Within that section, click "Manage Attachments". That will open up a new window that allows you to browse for your file and upload it.

You're limited to three attachments per post and each picture can be no larger than 500KB.

Congrats and enjoy!!!

I miss the glossy finish of the previous model.I have an HP 26" LCD TV with the glossy piano black bezel (just like on the PL5000 series) and i absolutely cannot stand it. It reflects things like a wavy black funhouse mirror - it's extremely distracting. I can literally comb my hair in it when my table lamp is turned on or the room is bright from sunlight and it's WAY more reflective than my Plasma's screen. It's one of the reasons i didn't buy a Pioneer. I'm seriously thinking about painting my LCD's bezel a matte or satin black. If the new HP Plasmas have a matte bezel then that's actually a good thing.

Does this TV have the PIP feature? Sales assured me before I bought the TV that "all HP TV's have PIP".

When the remote did not have a button for the PIP, I got suspicious. After about 30 minutes on hold with HP, they told me that the 5060 does not have the PIP feature. This sucks because this was kind of important to me before I bought the TV. I just called sales and the sales person I spoke still insists that the TV has the PIP feature. :confused:

Can someone please confirm if this TV has PIP or not. I am guessing not, but somewhere there is a hope that sales are correct and technical support is wrong.

Thanks

I know that the 42" does not have pip.

I have an HP 26" LCD TV with the glossy piano black bezel (just like on the PL5000 series) and i absolutely cannot stand it. It reflects things like a wavy black funhouse mirror - it's extremely distracting. I can literally comb my hair in it when my table lamp is turned on or the room is bright from sunlight and it's WAY more reflective than my Plasma's screen. It's one of the reasons i didn't buy a Pioneer. I'm seriously thinking about painting my LCD's bezel a matte or satin black. If the new HP Plasmas have a matte bezel then that's actually a good thing.
Agreed. My 42" LCD (which I returned) had a piano black glossy bezel which was very distracting in my family room. I felt that it increased eye strain when watching the TV during daylight hours.

Does this TV have the PIP feature? Sales assured me before I bought the TV that "all HP TV's have PIP".

When the remote did not have a button for the PIP, I got suspicious. After about 30 minutes on hold with HP, they told me that the 5060 does not have the PIP feature. This sucks because this was kind of important to me before I bought the TV. I just called sales and the sales person I spoke still insists that the TV has the PIP feature. :confused:

Can someone please confirm if this TV has PIP or not. I am guessing not, but somewhere there is a hope that sales are correct and technical support is wrong.Who are you going to believe? Some dumbass salesman, or HP themselves? My HP LCD TV does not have PIP so the salesman is already wrong about "all HP TVs having PIP". And there is no mention of PIP whatsoever in the specs or in the User Manual i just downloaded, nor any buttons for it on the remote.

Last year's PL5000N was based on the Panasonic PX500U which does have PIP, but the new model is an LG so one can't just assume it has PIP like last year's model.

I just helped a friend set up his 42", he has no High Def, but SD looked pretty darned good on most channels, played some DVDs over component connection and had jitters on all of them, changed from Go Video dvd player to Panasonic player and all worked well. Only thing I had probs. with was the remote while in the Menu, my big fingers kept hitting the buttons below or to the side of Menu control buttons, thus exiting Menu, I will have to get used to that as I just ordered a 42" for myself.

I bought my hp pl4260n frm best buy I returned the rca 50inch scenium dlp which was great but I could see to many rainbows whn i played xbox360. This is my 2nd plasma i had a gateway plasma also which was made by sampo or sumthn. i always liked my plasma but had no other plasma to compare 2. I guess u dont kno the best til u see it. I hav 2 friends that hav plasmas now 1 has a panasonic n the other has a pioneer pure vision once i seen those 2 i knew how bad of pq my plasma had. ihad a projection tv frm panosonic b4 the gateway. this was b4 dlp n lcd projections were out so my plasma looked way better thn wht i had n hardly anyone had a plasma thn in my tow anyway. i love the new hp plasmas n my friend wit the pioneer just returned his plasma for the hp the pq is better n he saved almost 1ooo bux. the best buy here sold me the pl4260n 4 2grand n free shiping n i got the free 15 inch lcd which sux by the way. im still in brek in mode but i think i will be way over 100 by 2mrw the nba playoffs begin ive been watchn sienfeld dvds for about 21 days now. n icant wait to play 360. thanx 4 letting me rant

do u think the sienfeld dvds worked good for break in they fill the screen? ive noteiced some image retention after the credits roll but they go away pretty quikly. ths forum has me paranoid. i didnt even kno bout breakn in a plasma with my gateway and never got any burn in playn a lot of videogames n i watchn about 4 - 5 hrs of espn a day. but after more thn 3 yrs my gateway turned brown in the right lower corner not burn in tho it was like a cloud tht wud get bigger every couple of months thts why i bought the rca dlp. 5o inchs for 2ooo i was sold n i herd so much good things about dlp but they dont compare to a plasma. by the way i bought my gateway 3200 with a 4 yr warrnty. gateway is sending me another plasma so now i will hav 2 new plasmas but one will really suck

can sum1 help me with my ? i posted it on page 3 ths is my first time on the forum

Welcome to AVS forum. There is a download that you can burn to a Cd, I think you can find it in the Burn-in thread. This you play when sleeping and it breaks in your panel.

Hello everyone, I am about to purchase the pl4260n any day now, probably from BB but I would like to know from you guys if any of you purchased the extended warranties offered by the sale persons. I for one have always been reluctant to buy them with overall purchases in the past so I would like the know how everyone else feels about them.

I didn't purchase the ew, but If you buy from HP you can wait up to a year to purchase 2 or 3 yr ew.

Hello HP5060 Owners and others..

I anxiously await the delvery of my 5060, bought sight unseen and scheduled to arrive this week, with DirecTv HD service following on Saturday.

Read with great interest the discussion about PIP. HP saleman told me, without question, that the TV had picture in picture. I'm about to call back because I can't stand lying, or uninformed, salemen.

I might make them come back and get it before it's unboxed!

I don't think it has pip, I have the 42" coming and it doesn't have pip either, but I have Dishnetwork and the dual tuner DVR that has pip.

Hello HP5060 Owners and others..

I anxiously await the delvery of my 5060, bought sight unseen and scheduled to arrive this week, with DirecTv HD service following on Saturday.

Read with great interest the discussion about PIP. HP saleman told me, without question, that the TV had picture in picture. I'm about to call back because I can't stand lying, or uninformed, salemen.

I might make them come back and get it before it's unboxed!

If PIP is that important to you, you might as well cancel that delivery because the PL5060N does not have that feature.

Read with great interest the discussion about PIP. HP saleman told me, without question, that the TV had picture in picture. I'm about to call back because I can't stand lying, or uninformed, salemen.


Heck, use this to your advantage! Call the store manager, tell them how DISAPPOINTED you are by being misled by the salesman, and that you're not sure if you can EVER shop at his/her store again which clearly has people that will lie (knowingly or not) just to get the sale. Maybe the manager will knock off $100-$200 to keep you satisfied...

Hey, it's worth a try!

BTW, thanks to everyone for the valuable input on this TV. I just saw them at BB over the weekend and was quite impressed w/ the picture. I see they have them on sale this week for $1999, same as HP website. Might be worth picking one up and give it a test-drive with my new Toshiba HD-DVD player!!

BB has 10% off right now. I'd pull the trigger but I want the pip and the pioneer. I was seriously impressed with the picture quality and the frame looks nice too.

The pioneer has nicer colors and a bit nicer picture (not 2k better pic IMO). But I guess with the color, pic quality, pip and digital cable ready tuner, I'm going with the pioneer onsale at BB. For the $$ the HP looks like a steal.

BB has 10% off right now. I'd pull the trigger but I want the pip and the pioneer. I was seriously impressed with the picture quality and the frame looks nice too.

The pioneer has nicer colors and a bit nicer picture (not 2k better pic IMO). But I guess with the color, pic quality, pip and digital cable ready tuner, I'm going with the pioneer onsale at BB. For the $$ the HP looks like a steal.


I'm going through same thing right now. The HP is just really cheap. I was at BB again comparing the the Plasmas. They finally setup a Panasonic right next to the HP. The Black levels of the Panny 60U kills the HP. But the HP seems to have better detail.

I think I'm just going to end up with the Pioneer.

So now the HP PL5060N 50" is in the hunt. I never realized that I can get a really good deal on the HPs through work. I was comparing these with the Panasonics at BB yesterday and for the price difference I might just have to get the HP. I know this time around the HPs aren't using Panasonic glass but it still looked pretty nice. And with rumors flying around the the Panasonic 600u aren't going to include a cable card one of the features I was hoping to get, PIP and PC input doesn't seem to justify the $500 price difference between the 60u and 600u. The HPs don't have cable cards either.

My considerations:
Panasonic TH-42PX600U - considering (stictly for styling over the 60u)
Pioneer - PDP4360HD - considering, but probably out too expensive, maybe the newer models?
HP - PL4260N - considering
HP - PL5060N - considering

I'm at a distance of approximately 10ft, so I'm on the border with 42" or 50". I can get the 50" HP for less than the 42" 600u Panasonic (also company discount) but the quality might not be there. This is going to be my last TV purchase for quite some time, so getting a new model in a few years isn't going to happen. I'm planning on 15+ years out of this TV. Or do I get the 42" HP and still have spending money. Or forget it all together and wait for the 42" 600u?

Opinions?

I am at 91/2 feet, so opted for the 42", you do have a hard decision to make, might want to consider how much sd you watch compared to hd, 42" would be my choice just to make the sd appear a little better.

I'm sitting about 12 feet from the TV and have the 42". I'm content with the screen size relative to my viewing distance eventhough I've read that the optimal max distance for a 42" is 10.5 feet. I do have to admit that I sometimes wish I had the 50".

I would agree with Dirtydan in that a 10 foot viewing distance with a 42" would make SD look better than a 50" display. If your material will be mostly HD or some other source of good material (i.e. upconverted DVD), the 50" would be ideal if it fits into your budget.

I just noticed a couple of issues with the 5060:

Problem 1. When I turn on the TV, it breaks the screen into two halves and shows the picture in each of the halves and has a bunch of color stripes on the bottom of the screen like it is all fuzzed up. But once I change the channel, then the problem goes away. This happened about four times after I turn on the TV but does not happen on every try.

Problem 2: On the local HD channels, the TV displays a horizontal line on the top of the screen across the display. I noticed that this happens only on the local channels. The line comes a couple of minutes after I start the TV. This line does not come on ESPN HD, TNT HD or HBO HD.

I also noticed these problems when viewing on the DVI-HDMI input. I did not notice these when using the component cables.

Did anyone notice any of these problems? Could these be with the built in HD Tuner or something like that. I am planning on calling HP Tech support today but am not sure if I want them to come fix the TV or take the TV and send me a new one.

Any recommendations?

Thanks,

I am in the market for a new PDP and I was looking at the 2 HP 50" PDP's (PL5000N and the newer 5060). Before these I was looking at the HD built in tuner version made by Panny (60U). i don't need all the gizmos that the Panny offers anad I will be hooked up to the Dish so i don't need the built-in tuner. Do you guys have a reccomendation for either of these. I watch a lot of sports and Nickelodeon. :D Is the digital really that bad compared to my Sony Wega Trinitron? My 36" Sony is beautiful but due to our re-model I have to go with a wall mounted TV. I know it's a terrible thing. Seriously, will it be a drastic change in the PQ? I will be watching from about 13' away.

Just placed my order with shopping.hp.com for my HP PL4260N !

My first plasma...saw it yesterday at BB. Also looked at the LG...not having seen this thread first mind you. I was looking at the Maxent (BB) and the Akai (at Samclub) and the Vizio (at Costco).

I got to say...I saw each set in person and the Akai and the Vizio to me personally...they were not even in the same class. OSD menus were whacked on the Vizio....and lots of clayface. The Akai was a bit better but not be much...again, subjective viewing only. Went to CC and looked at the LG 42PC3D...LOOKED AWESOME....better than the panny 60u there and about everything else.

Went to BB and again....LG 42PC3D and HP PL4260N just looked worlds above everything else on the floor. I could not tell any meaningful difference between the HP and the LG...they were a couple of TV's from each other but going back and forther between them at 5, 8 and 10 feet...I couldn't tell a difference.

[EDIT]

I don't know LG as a company but do know HP...even if made by LG...HP in my experience stands behind their products.

[EDIT]

Now to order some cables.

I am not using the built-in HD Tuner...an HR10-250 with DirecTV rather...but I too have noticed a very thin white line at the top of two HD channels. This only shows up though when these two HD channels are showing something in 4:3 format. Also, I have only noticed this on two HD channels. As soon as the content switches from 4:3 to 16:9, the white line goes away.

I noticed that PIP issue you discribed as well. When the set was new, I was switching the TIVO's format from 480p through 1080i. At one point, the screen split in two -- displaying the same thing in two separate windows (like I had PIP). I haven't noticed that since.

I think HDMI is a major source of these problems for me. I'm going to try to use component to see if this solves the issues I've described.

Yes, Lumberg you are right. The line shows only when watching content in the 4:3 format. No matter how I adjust the screen, the line still shows up.

The two separate windows (like PIP) appear only when watching via HDMI. Once I use component they go away. I think you are right, the problem seems to be from HDMI.

Do you think these problems are with the TV or with the set top box which is sending the HDMI signal to the TV. I am using a motorola DCT5100 which was provided by Comcast.

Since the quality of the picture is better using HDMI, I would love to use HDMI rather than component.

Your thoughts !!!

Heck, use this to your advantage! Call the store manager, tell them how DISAPPOINTED you are by being misled by the salesman, and that you're not sure if you can EVER shop at his/her store again which clearly has people that will lie (knowingly or not) just to get the sale. Maybe the manager will knock off $100-$200 to keep you satisfied...

Hey, it's worth a try!

BTW, thanks to everyone for the valuable input on this TV. I just saw them at BB over the weekend and was quite impressed w/ the picture. I see they have them on sale this week for $1999, same as HP website. Might be worth picking one up and give it a test-drive with my new Toshiba HD-DVD player!!

Ok guys, I've got to get to the bottom of this PIP. I call HPShopping and went ballistic about the salesman telling me the 5060 had PIP. Threatened to get a Return Authorization right then and there or demand deep discount.

Well the rep checked the rep of the rep (get it?) who sold me the TV and said he was one of thier most experienced and best. Two people got on the phone with me while they poured over some log of specs that they have available. Their information indictaes tha the 5060 has what HP calls "Dual Picture Display", while not technically a picture in a picture, this feature allows 2 different pictures to be displayed at once. Someone's post mentioined this had happened, but as an abberation.

My 5060 to be delivered Wednesday...but let me know if anyone has determined how to use the feature, since it must not be intuative, or explained in the manual.

Ok guys, I've got to get to the bottom of this PIP. I call HPShopping and went ballistic about the salesman telling me the 5060 had PIP. Threatened to get a Return Authorization right then and there or demand deep discount.

Well the rep checked the rep of the rep (get it?) who sold me the TV and said he was one of thier most experienced and best. Two people got on the phone with me while they poured over some log of specs that they have available. Their information indictaes tha the 5060 has what HP calls "Dual Picture Display", while not technically a picture in a picture, this feature allows 2 different pictures to be displayed at once. Someone's post mentioined this had happened, but as an abberation.

My 5060 to be delivered Wednesday...but let me know if anyone has determined how to use the feature, since it must not be intuative, or explained in the manual.

I would call them back and say "Liar, Liar, pants of fire" :)

Do a search on both the UG and the 245 pages service manual for the word "dual" and you would not be able to find anything that even remotely mention "dual picture display". Since I don't see the need to have PIP, I like my PL5060N just fine, so far.

Yes, Lumberg you are right. The line shows only when watching content in the 4:3 format. No matter how I adjust the screen, the line still shows up.

The two separate windows (like PIP) appear only when watching via HDMI. Once I use component they go away. I think you are right, the problem seems to be from HDMI.

Do you think these problems are with the TV or with the set top box which is sending the HDMI signal to the TV. I am using a motorola DCT5100 which was provided by Comcast.

Since the quality of the picture is better using HDMI, I would love to use HDMI rather than component.

Your thoughts !!!
My personal thought is that this is an issue with my STB (a TIVO in my case) using HDMI. Maybe it's the TV though. Perhaps HP needs to update the firmware to solve some of these little glitches with HDMI. I so rarely see that white line that it really hasn't bothered me yet and that dual-picture view only appeared for me when I switch output modes on my TIVO.

Question - that first problem you mention (the dual pictures when the set is turned on)....does this occur in both power save modes? I am using the default mode that saves more power when turned-off but takes longer to turn on.

I still haven't tried connecting my HR10-250 via component. A friend of mine has the same TIVO and says he sees little difference between HDMI and component. If that's the case for me, then I'll switch to component and save the HDMI slot for a DVD player.

I am a newbie. Just purchased 4260N at BB yesterday [EDIT].

I am on Comcast with a 6412 DVR digital box. When I connected using just the HDMI cable I had video on the HD channels but no audio. Had audio and picture fine on non-HD channels. Connected with component cables and everything worked fine on both.

Comcast was no help on the audio issue and I couldn't find anything in the HP manual.

Everything else is great. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Roger

I'm going with the 42" HP, I'll be pulling the trigger sometime early next month (May 06). I'm really excited. :)

Folks,
I just got my HP 42" HD plasma and I LOVE IT!!!!!
The PQ with just component video is awsum....tested with digital cable, HD channels and DVD playback.
The setup menu is a bit confusing but aren't they all.
The remote control is well laid out, easy to use and the look of the TV is absolutely SEXY!! The speakers are optional and detachable and who needs them anyway......anyone in the right mind will be using a good Home Theatre amp like a Yamaha with their set.
I had it setup and watching a HD cable channel in less than 15 mins, including the time it took me to connect the power, componet video and s-video connectors.
[EDIT]. I got mine from Best Buy and of course the 4-year extended in-home warranty.

What can I say....don't hesitate, go get one!!!!
Styx,
Frederick, MD

Hello everyone,

This is my first post in the forum which has turned out to be amazing.

My HP 42" gets delivered today and I ordered it on Friday. Wow, they must have the things sitting in a warehouse where I live.

Originally I had the 42" Vizio from Costco but it just didn't hack it with the black levels and big silver bezel.

I decided to get the HP after my buddy who manages over at HP Shopping now HP Small and Home office and indicated that side to side next to last years 42" the picture in their opinion was better. Apparently HP was able to cut costs yet yield a good product. And because I work there I got a good chuck off too so it was a no brainer :)

I went to best buy last night and looked at them. They look pretty sharp but the feed to them seemed to be "noisy" because the picture would break up on it occasionally, similar to when satellite is going losing signal quality.

As a more or less first time Plasma owner I have read on here that you want to slow break these screens in and was wondering what settings would be appropriate for this TV?

Thanks everyone,
Kevin

Anyone else noticed some slight differences in PQ between the 42" and 50"? I was lookin at both last night with contrast and brightness set the same, and the 42" seemed a little brighter or contrastier to me.

The 42" has higher brighteness specs. 50" is 1000cd/m 2, 42" is 1200cd/m 2

Tks dd. Is that typical with plasmas, for smaller sizes to be a little brighter?

Question - that first problem you mention (the dual pictures when the set is turned on)....does this occur in both power save modes? I am using the default mode that saves more power when turned-off but takes longer to turn on.

I am using the default power mode (saves power) but I will try changing the mode and see what happens. Also, I went and bought a DVD player with a HDMI output and used that to see if the problem replicates and for the few minutes I tested, I could not replicate the probem. The problem came back once I connected my Comcast cable box. I am starting to suspect that the problem is in the signal that was sent to the TV itself, but I cannot understand why it works fine after changing the channel?

Tks dd. Is that typical with plasmas, for smaller sizes to be a little brighter?
You got me, I have never noticed this, I only know on the HP because it is in the instruction manual.

Yes, Lumberg you are right. The line shows only when watching content in the 4:3 format. No matter how I adjust the screen, the line still shows up.


This is likely from the broadcasting station. From my HDTivo to an MT700 and LCD monitor, both with zero overscan, I get different lines on different channel. Some at the top, some on the side. That the HP shows this line is good in my mind as it's an indication of low or no overscan - the HP is displaying most or all of the picture. Some sets have quite bad and unnecessary overscan - to the point where you lose 10% or more of the original broadcast.

Hello again everyone.... I've had my 4260n for almost 3 weeks now and absolutely love it. And I'm glad to hear that all of you other hp owners feel the same. I do have one question though.... when I watch ESPN, there are 2 black bars on each side of my screen.... but when I watch SportsCenter on a different channel, it fills up the whole screen. Does ESPN not support widescreen or do I need to adjust something on my plasma so that it will fill up the whole screen? ESPN is the only channel that I've noticed this on. Any info or tips will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Is there anyway to adjust overscan on the new HP models? Horizontal/vertical size and position in a service menu perhaps?

Is there anyway to adjust overscan on the new HP models? Horizontal/vertical size and position in a service menu perhaps?
Yes there is, but It might only work with the PC source, you might want to read that service manual.

Edit: I just checked in owners manual, these adjustments are only usable through PC connection..

What I've noticed when shopping for my first plasma is that at BB you will go there and almost all the time they will show you the original price even though there are deals out there.

[EDIT]

Just wanted to give a heads up because it was a little fishy to me!

[EDIT]

My considerations:
Panasonic TH-42PX600U - considering (stictly for styling over the 60u)
Pioneer - PDP4360HD - considering, but probably out too expensive, maybe the newer models?
HP - PL4260N - considering
HP - PL5060N - considering

I'm at a distance of approximately 10ft, so I'm on the border with 42" or 50". I can get the 50" HP for less than the 42" 600u Panasonic (also company discount) but the quality might not be there. This is going to be my last TV purchase for quite some time, so getting a new model in a few years isn't going to happen. I'm planning on 15+ years out of this TV. Or do I get the 42" HP and still have spending money. Or forget it all together and wait for the 42" 600u?

Opinions?

For the price, you can never go wrong with the HP. It'd be an amazing deal with the employee discounts. Since its a TV you're going to have for a long time, you should really buy the one you like better. I had my heart set on getting the HP until I saw it next to the Panasonic. You should do a side by side comparison and see if the Panasonic is worth the money.

At 10' ... you can go either way. For me... I'd go for the 50". Bigger is better. :) I like my screen size to be 2x the size of the TV.

Wow, I never considered HP for my plasma buying consideration, but based on this thread and the relatively lower price it's the front runner!

Questions I have:


1) I'm also torn between 42" and 50" as i'll be at about 9.5' viewing distance. In my previous house, i was sitting same distance from my Sony 50" RP LCD and even though SD was sub-optimal the larger size was GREAT for movies and HD content. Will this render SD content simliar to my Sony RPLCD? This will be my first PDP and i've read horror stories about some SD rendering on plasmas (toshiba's come to mind IIRC).

2) How is the reflectivity of the glass? While this doesn't face a window, My living room is where this will sit and the patio glass door sits on the wall to the left so there will be glare from the side. Admittedly most of my viewing is done at night, but I hate having to draw the curtains and make my living room a cave just to watch TV..

3) From the specs, the relevant inputs to me are: 1 HDMI, 1 VGA, and 2 component. I have a Media Center PC which has DVI, my Xbox 360 which is component and a comcast HD STB which is DVI or component. My media center looks like it should connect either by DVI-->HDMI converter or through the VGA connection. Which connection is better? I vaguely remember reading that the DVI-->HDMI is all digital path (and thus better) whereas VGA is a digital-->analog conversion.

Hello again everyone.... I've had my 4260n for almost 3 weeks now and absolutely love it. And I'm glad to hear that all of you other hp owners feel the same. I do have one question though.... when I watch ESPN, there are 2 black bars on each side of my screen.... but when I watch SportsCenter on a different channel, it fills up the whole screen. Does ESPN not support widescreen or do I need to adjust something on my plasma so that it will fill up the whole screen? ESPN is the only channel that I've noticed this on. Any info or tips will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Are you watching the HD versions of ESPN? I have DirecTV and get two HD versions of ESPN -- eventhough a majority of the content isn't really HD. One of those channels shows a lot content in 4:3 (black bars on side). From what I've seen (and read from others), the HP's can not zoom on an HD channel. So, eventhough the content is 4:3, the HP's aspect ratio options can't fill the entire screen if the source is an HD channel.

[QUOTE=bobby_t1]Wow, I never considered HP for my plasma buying consideration, but based on this thread and the relatively lower price it's the front runner!

Questions I have:


1) SD on RPLCD vs PDP

Hard to say. My only experience with SD on an HDTV has been with this HP plasma and a 1080p LCD flat panel. The HP does SD a tad better than the LCD, but I have no idea if the HP would look better than a RPLCD. I posted some SD pics in this thread. Take a look and let me know if you have any questions.


2) How is the reflectivity of the glass?

The glass is very reflective. As long as your window is to the left or right of your TV, I don't think you'll have a problem. I have a large window directly in front of my plasma (facing the TV). That's probably the absolute worst case scenario for PDP. My only saving grace is that the window faces north and doesn't get any direct sun light into the house. Also, I have a roller shade that covers the window (but it's white and is more for privacy than killing a glare).

So how bad is it? During the day, the reflection is pretty strong if I'm sitting dead center on my couch with the window directly behind me and the plasma directly in front of me. This is with the roller shade down. Even with my contrast and brightness turned down below 50 I can watch the TV , but the glare is definitely noticeable.

Now, if I sit on the right side of my courch, I don't see the reflection at all. So, during the day that's typically where I sit and experience no glare. My point in saying all of this is that even with a window directly in front of the PDP, I can still watch it without glare by sitting a few feet to the right. If you're window is to the left or right of your TV and you're sitting directly in front of the PDP, you should be fine.

What Exactly Is An Hdmi Switch ?

What Exactly Is An Hdmi Switch ?
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=2777&seq=1&format=2
http://images.monoprice.com/productlargeimages/27773.jpg

bobby_t1,
I have a friend with the 42".window is right across room facing west, he has no visable reflections but at this time the panel is at a slight angle as he has not pushed his entertainment center back against the wall, so we will see when he gets cable he is waiting on. As to pc connection, I would like a follow-up on this connection as I have a Nvidia card with DVI and it is not the same connector as the Panel, you mention adapter, is this something that might work?

I'm going with the 42" HP, I would like to get an articulating mount. I prefer the Peerless PLA-1 anyone know what kind of adapter plate I need with it? It's not listed in the mount finder tool.

You might find out from HP.

Has anyone with these hp plasmas noticed any bad image retention or burn in yet? just wondering

I love my 4260n n i was also wondering how many of you with the hp plasmas hav been playn any xbox 360

I Saw The Pl5060n Hooked Up To A Toshiba Hd Dvd Via Hdmi At My Local Bb And The Picture Was Awesome. Facial Tones With The 10000: 1 Contrast Ratio Are Superb And Imo It Makes Up For The Slightly Lower Resolution. I Have Done Tons Of Research And Imo This Unit Is The Best Bang For The Buck. For The Money Can Anyone Suggest Anything Else That Is As Good ?

Finally got it and hooked it up last night. Pretty solid design and the picture is great. Considering for me it was barely more than the Vizio at Costco's March Madness Price, without a doubt this PDP is amazing and well worth it. Sportscenter last night was amazing and delivered the quaility I missed from my Mitsu HD Rear Projection.

Now I just need to get myself a HD DVD and never leave the room.

Thanks HP for delivering a solid unit and quick delivery.

Nobody ever answers my ?s on this forum is it b cuz I am a new member is there a break in period for new members how many post do I need to get sumone to answer me

Nobody ever answers my ?s on this forum is it b cuz I am a new member is there a break in period for new members how many post do I need to get sumone to answer me
I don't think it's because your new, I think that's the trouble with forums in general, sometimes questions, and answers for that matter get lost in the thread. To answer your question:

I Don't have the plasma or X360 yet, but as soon as I get both I'll let you know.

Nobody ever answers my ?s on this forum is it b cuz I am a new member is there a break in period for new members how many post do I need to get sumone to answer me
Sorry...I think we just missed your question. Are you referring to your question about the Seinfeld DVD being good for break-in?

Has anyone with these hp plasmas noticed any bad image retention or burn in yet? just wondering
In regards to this question...the answer is no. I'm keeping my brightness and contrast down a bit (I think 47 each) and I'm trying to limit 4:3 content. I'm also careful not to let my TIVO menu stay on screen too long. To date, I have noticed no IR or burn-in.

I think I mentioned in an earlier post that my bro-in-law has an older LG PDP. He's experienced no burn-in but has experienced temporary IR that quickly goes away once changing the content. He did not follow any type of break-in rule and I know he watches a lot of 4:3 content without concern for IR/Burn. He also watches a lot of sports with score status bars and tickers. Again, no burn-in for him but periodically some temporary IR.

Has anyone with these hp plasmas noticed any bad image retention or burn in yet? just wondering
Regarding retention, I have a friend with the 42", only been up and running since last friday. He has not adjusted anything on it, so out of the box it looks good. I went over there today and messed around with black, white and blue screens, no sign of any retention, only precaution he takes is having a full screen display, which means zooming or stretching 4:3 content.

ya the break in ? and if anyone has seen image ret. or burn in? thanx lumberg

thanx dirty dan i hope u get ur plasma soon u wont regret it i promise

oh just saw the burn in answers thanx i must have missed them

I watched a couple nba playoff games and i noticed the tnt score ticker on all black scenes i watched a couple movies in full screen and they went away anyone else

bobby_t1,
I have a friend with the 42".window is right across room facing west, he has no visable reflections but at this time the panel is at a slight angle as he has not pushed his entertainment center back against the wall, so we will see when he gets cable he is waiting on. As to pc connection, I would like a follow-up on this connection as I have a Nvidia card with DVI and it is not the same connector as the Panel, you mention adapter, is this something that might work?

Update, panel is now against the wall and window across room just about fills the screen with reflection, easy fix was to close heavy drapes, no more reflection..

I watched a couple nba playoff games and i noticed the tnt score ticker on all black scenes i watched a couple movies in full screen and they went away anyone else
That is as bad as it will get, seems most retention goes away after watching other programming. YMMV, depending on your video settings, for sure don't use torch mode for the first 100 or 200 hours.

last post sorry by the way ihave my contrast 32 and brite 32 does anyone have thier plasma calibrated with those dvds avia dvd esst. etc. can you let me know the settings plz tht would be of great help also would elavation have any affect on how the pq settings would be adjusted im at 6470 ft and my plasma sometimes buzzes like a old neon lite/sign is anyone else at hi elavation? sorry for the run-on sent.

Is the 42" 1024x786 or 1366x768? BB lists 1366, but HP lists 1024...

(if 1366 I may cancel my Sansung 42" with 1024x768 res from CC)

bobby_t1,
I have a friend with the 42".window is right across room facing west, he has no visable reflections but at this time the panel is at a slight angle as he has not pushed his entertainment center back against the wall, so we will see when he gets cable he is waiting on. As to pc connection, I would like a follow-up on this connection as I have a Nvidia card with DVI and it is not the same connector as the Panel, you mention adapter, is this something that might work?

DirtyDan --> You would just need to get a DVI-->HDMI adapter and that will allow your PC to connect to your TV.

Is the 42" 1024x786 or 1366x768? BB lists 1366, but HP lists 1024...

(if 1366 I may cancel my Sansung 42" with 1024x768 res from CC)
HP's website would be correct, it's 1024, 1366 is for the 50".

the manual list 1024x768 i hope there wrong and bb is rite but i doubt it. I seen the bb web-ad 2

DirtyDan --> You would just need to get a DVI-->HDMI adapter and that will allow your PC to connect to your TV.
Ok, now how would it work with adapter from DVI on PC to the VGA on the tv? I don't think I would want to lose my HDMI on the panel, as I have a Dish 622 dvr with HDMI out. The pc to tv is not a high priority to me, but I suppose if I tried your suggestion and liked it I could buy an HDMI switch.

I have had this 4260n for about a week now, and I'm fairly happy, but there are some definite problems with the unit. First of all, no matter how I calibrate the DVD picture settings, it doesn't seem to look as crisp as the samsung I had earlier. I always get like a fuzz around the lettering. It's like I can see the actual pixels or something.

The DVD problem is almost like a 'flicker' effect or something. Not terrible, but not crisp like i'd expect. I'm a newbie in the HDTV realm, so if anybody could offer help, it would be greatly appreciated. FYI- I'm using Component for the DVD, and HDMI for HDTV.

Image retention seems to be fairly bad too. I think that is why they put in the "White Wash" mode. All images have gone away, but they do seem to get retained for a short while after the image is gone.

I just recently switched my HDTV feed from component to HDMI. Let's just say that it made a great difference. Much more happy with the HDMI cable.

Oh yeah, and the menu is dull and boring. They coulda added some color or something to make it look more desirable.

All in all, for the price I paid, I'm fairly happy. I am not sure if the picture quality would match up with the Panny though.

See my post #67, the fix was to turn to progressive scan on the Go Video player. Can you comment on pq for tv, hd, sd, etc.? What tv service do you subscribe to?

Please help
I'm trying to buy a Peerless PLA-1 articulating mount for the HP PL4260N plasma TV, but Peerless doesn't have the specifications for this model yet. I've contacted them and they said they need to know how it's mounted. I want to have the mount installed before the TV arrives if at all possible. Can someone who owns it, give me some specs on the screw holes (mounting locations) for this panel? Or directions on how it's mounted?

Simple question
The connections are on the bottom, not the back right? In other words, you have to plug up into them?

Thanks

Ok, now how would it work with adapter from DVI on PC to the VGA on the tv? I don't think I would want to lose my HDMI on the panel, as I have a Dish 622 dvr with HDMI out. The pc to tv is not a high priority to me, but I suppose if I tried your suggestion and liked it I could buy an HDMI switch.

Much of the quality difference between VGA and DVI on, say, LCD monitors is due to crap A/D converters. In my experience decent consumer electronics display devices have pretty good VGA inputs. Assuming HP put decent ones on this set you'll likely see the VGA PQ as pretty good.

And you get the overscan controls and (with a 50") likely a 1366x768 1:1 mapping to boot. I bet 1280x720 is the closest the HDMI input can get you to panel resolution. If I get one of these (I'd probably be better off waiting 2 years to get a cheap 1920x1080 50" plasma), then VGA would be the first input I tried.

So has anyone else noticed the "jagged" edges on everything. doesn't really matter what mode I use, they all seem to have the same thing. edges of like text, or faces have it. It's not hugely a problem, but definately noticeable.

So has anyone else noticed the "jagged" edges on everything. doesn't really matter what mode I use, they all seem to have the same thing. edges of like text, or faces have it. It's not hugely a problem, but definately noticeable.
Did you see my post #136??

I'm trying to find out if anyone has a file they could share on the service manual for the PL4260N. It no longer shows as available from HP.

So has anyone else noticed the "jagged" edges on everything. doesn't really matter what mode I use, they all seem to have the same thing. edges of like text, or faces have it. It's not hugely a problem, but definately noticeable.
I have not.

I have it, but it is almost 40mb

I'm trying to find out if anyone has a file they could share on the service manual for the PL4260N. It no longer shows as available from HP.
I have it as well, just in the nick of time apparently, but yeah it's 40mb and I can't upload it anywhere here at work. I'll try and upload it somewhere when I get home.

can any1 answer my #12 post? bult816 i noticed alot of image ret. also more than any other plasma i have seen but im over 200hrs and i still notice them but they seem to go away alot faster than they did a coulpe weeks ago so for our sake i hope as we use the panel more it will eventualy stop but ur rite it is pretty bad i was never worried about wht i watchd or playd with my old plasma the pl4260n has me so paranoid i hardly play my 360 and i have been watchn the nba playoffs on my 27 inch crt

hey lumberg do u notice any image ret.

can any1 answer my #12 post i meant #129 sorry about tht plz help

Mike - I tried calibrating my display with the THX optimizer from Star Wars, and also some other DVD calibration disk. On both, the Brightness was at around 32, but I couldn't really find a good fit for the contrast. when I turn them both way down, the picture seems to be too dark.

I don't know, I feel like this display is just too dark all the time, If I increase brightness, I just get a greyed type picture. I am fairly new, so I'm sure I'm doing something wrong.

A professional with AVIA type calibration disk would be great. Anybody?

Mike - Tell me your thoughts on the menu, pq, etc... And, do you have the "rough edges" problem that I am talking about. I have seen the issue somewhere else, where the edges just don't look crisp and clean. It doesn't happen much with the HD receiver, but does with my xbox 360 when playing movies. I am going to try a JVC DVD progressive scan player tonight.

I remember where I have seen the "rough edges" I am talking about. I have seen it on computer monitors when the resolution doesn't match up correctly or something. Or maybe it's when the video feed quality is too low. How do I fix it?

the menu is week and the pq is great compare to my last plasma anyway. the remote is a piece of u kno wht. i have not noticed the jaggies u speak of tho the 360 on my hp looks very smooth on 720p or 1080i my dvd is just progresive so not a great pq but still good enuf i dont got any hd tho cant wait to peep it

is elavation a factor for anyone

When you do get HD, do yourself a favor and get the HDMI cable. I don't even use the audio from the TV, but the picture quality seems to be much better. I didn't think I would notice much, but definately did.

I think the "jaggies" come from the 420p output of the DVDplayers. It just must not handle it very well. I noticed them alot watching 40 year old virgin on the Xbox360. Star Wars seemed to look pretty sweet though after using the THX calibration.

I doubt that elevation would cause any differences, but i could be wrong.

I agree, the remote is a PIECE! and the Menu is cheap!. The ability to change the "USER" picture for each input is very nice though. The settings for DVD are way different than HD through HDMI cable.

my dvd plyr is also 420p and seinfeld looks grainy but they are old whn i watchd house party and next friday and old skool they lookd really clear n smooth i think its cuz the 360 dvd plyr aint all tht but i wouldnt kno cuz i never tried it my dvdplyr is a 3yr old sony progresive scan hookd up with monster componenet cables tht mite be the diff. also

Thanks for the input. I'll try the JVC progressive scan player tonight. I would have thought for $400.00 the 360 would have a solid player in it. We'll see. All other 360 stuff looks great though. Just waiting for some more good games.

Just to "defend" my company on some of the componets being a POS. There is a reason this TV was significantly more expensive 3 months ago. Many of us are now able to afford IMO a good TV. Of course the Panny's and Pio's have better OSD's and remotes but the Pioneer I liked at BB was twice as much as I paid for my HP. HP decided to take out some stuff that many people find less value in i.e. crappy detachable speakers.

If you want the Porsche, then buy it. If you want the fun of the Porsche but can't afford it, buy the WRX.

mora new mexico?

Ordered my PL4260N 15 minutes ago, should be there in 7-10 days. Woo hoo!!

would elavation have any affect on how the pq settings would be adjusted im at 6470 ft and my plasma sometimes buzzes like a old neon lite/sign is anyone else at hi elavation?Don't quote me on this, but I think the max recommended elevation for these displays according to HP sales is 6500 feet. I don't really know much about the effects of altitude on plasmas, though it isn't recommended they be used at levels higher than they're designed for. Since you're right at this level, it might be prudent to contact HP customer service to see what the potential risks and impacts are of using one of their displays at such high altitude. There may be other mfrs that support higher elevations. The only one I know of offhand is NEC. I think some of their panels are spec'd for use up to about 9000 ft. They'll probably cost more though.

You might also try searching the forum with the terms altitude and elevation +plasma to see if there's more info here. There's only a little bit on this in the forum faq.

Does this HP set allow zoom of HD picture via HDMI? Specifically, i want to connect a media center PC via DVI/HDMI and stretch 4:3 content recorded originally from SDTV. Obviously want to do this to avoid burn-in issues.

My Sony GWIII RP LCD doesn't allow this.. not sure which Plasmas do.

Just to "defend" my company on some of the componets being a POS. There is a reason this TV was significantly more expensive 3 months ago. Many of us are now able to afford IMO a good TV. Of course the Panny's and Pio's have better OSD's and remotes but the Pioneer I liked at BB was twice as much as I paid for my HP. HP decided to take out some stuff that many people find less value in i.e. crappy detachable speakers.

If you want the Porsche, then buy it. If you want the fun of the Porsche but can't afford it, buy the WRX.
I love car analogies!

sorry mora didnt mean to offend u i was just letn people kno about the bad things about the panel no plasma is perfect (correct me if im wrong) but i really enjoy the 4260n i think hp did a great job and i highly recommend this plasma to anyone lookin for a quality tv

is anyone watchn the nba playoffs on tnt? let me know about image ret. thanx

I have watched the NBA playoffs a bit, but the image retention didn't seem any worse than anything else. The ret. goes away after changing the picture though, so no major problems yet.

I had problems with "the jaggies", but hooked up a JVC progressive scan player, and everything looked much better. I'm still not sure it looked as good as the Samsung, but much better nonetheless.

So far I'm pretty happy with the TV. I really just wish the OSD was a little better.At the price, you can't find much better.

I'm still looking for calibration settings from someone using Avia or any other calib. disk for that matter.

I'm still looking for calibration settings from someone using Avia or any other calib. disk for that matter.As mentioned above, I just ordered my TV so I should be getting it in about 7-10 days, and I have AVIA. I'll post my setting back here when I get them. I'll probably post it a few times, < 100 hrs, > 100 hrs & > 1000 hrs.

Ok, so this is probably like a super newbie question, but why does it matter what the hour rating is. I have heard the term "break-in" mode. What exactly does all this mean? TIA

You can get a better understanding by reading the Stickey : Master Burnin/breakin , But it seems that 100 hrs. is the general recomendation for minimum breakin time.

Thanks for the reply-I hope ya can help me out.

I have a Samsung hd-dvd 860 with HDMI. I have been using HDMI with my 4260n but last night, for some reason, I tried out the s-video. Right when the DVD "Samsung" screen came on, I immediately noticed a sharper image. I even turned everything off and put back my HDMI cable and turned it back on and when the "Samsung" screen came on, you could obviously tell it wasn't as sharp as when the S-video was in use....even @ 720p. I'm confused, I'm just a newbie and have heard so much about HDMI being the best quality in picture and sound. Is my HDMI slot broken or something? S-video looks flawless on this dvd player and 4260n. HDMI looks just okay. I spent a lot on this darn HDMI cable too. Or could it be that "SAMSUNG" hasn't perfected their HDMI on their dvd players? Any tips or advice will be appreciated. Thanks.

Thanks for the reply. I'm new to posting to replies/comments so I appreciate the help.

Thanks for the reply. I'm new to posting to replies/comments so I appreciate the help.
If your thanking me about the service manual, I tried to send it to someone and my isp bounced it, too big..

My first plasma has arrived...work at home two days for delivery and installation...one night of NBA with the fellas..and DirecTV is here in the morning to set up the HD signal. HDMI cable and Local DVD Atntenna ready and waiting.

The picture is great already. I'll get technical later when I stop slobbering.

Ok, now how would it work with adapter from DVI on PC to the VGA on the tv? I don't think I would want to lose my HDMI on the panel, as I have a Dish 622 dvr with HDMI out. The pc to tv is not a high priority to me, but I suppose if I tried your suggestion and liked it I could buy an HDMI switch.

I'm confused.. this TV has both HDMI and a VGA connection, right?

Just plug your TV into the VGA connection, and your Dish DVR into HDMI.

Has anyone actually tried hooking up a PC to their 50" set via VGA vs. HDMI? Wondering on quality..

I am not interested in viewing tv on pc. I have Nvidia card with s-video out and also a DVI, not sure if DVI is for input or output, or maybe both. If it can be used for output would I be able to get an adapter to connect it to the vga input on the plasma? The dvi on the video card looks just like the dvi input on my old Toshiba, if that helps explain it better..

I have a Samsung hd-dvd 860 with HDMI. I have been using HDMI with my 4260n but last night, for some reason, I tried out the s-video. Right when the DVD "Samsung" screen came on, I immediately noticed a sharper image. I even turned everything off and put back my HDMI cable and turned it back on and when the "Samsung" screen came on, you could obviously tell it wasn't as sharp as when the S-video was in use....even @ 720p. I'm confused, I'm just a newbie and have heard so much about HDMI being the best quality in picture and sound. Is my HDMI slot broken or something? S-video looks flawless on this dvd player and 4260n. HDMI looks just okay. I spent a lot on this darn HDMI cable too. Or could it be that "SAMSUNG" hasn't perfected their HDMI on their dvd players? Any tips or advice will be appreciated. Thanks.

This sounds like scaling issues, in that the Samsung upconvert or deinterlacing may not be great or the extra conversion is causing degradation.

When you use S-video you're going:

720x480i -> [TV] -> 720x480p -> 1024x768p

When you're using your Samsung HD Upconvert player then you're going:

720x480i -> 720x480p -> 1280x720p -> [TV] -> 1024x768p

With the latter you're pointlessly going up in resolution in the DVD player and then the TV's scaler has to throw information away.

You can try different resolutions out of your DVD player to see which component doing what operation (deinterlace, scaling) looks best to you. Compare 480i, 480p, and 720p. Assuming you've got a good deinterlacer on your DVD player, I'd guess 480p would be best on either of these plasmas.

If it can be used for output would I be able to get an adapter to connect it to the vga input on the plasma?

DVI is for video output. Most, or more likely all recent cards, have a DVI-I port which accepts both DVI-A and DVD-D cables.

If you want to go DVI -> VGA, then get a DVI-A to VGA adapter or cable. Or if you have a free VGA port on your video card then just use that.

If you want to go DVI -> HDMI then get a DVI-D -> HDMI cable.

Here's a page from Bluejeans that has both (http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/dvi/index.htm). You can get them a bit cheaper from someplace like monoprice.com.

Thanks, that is what I was looking for, I have an adapter that came with my Nvidia, just need to get a VGA cable. I assume the "A" after DVI means analog.

I just got a new HP plasma, and i was trying to figure out what dvd's i could watch to help the breakin of the display...I figured 1.85:1 filled the display so i had been using that. I just read however that a widscreen tv displays at 1.76:1

upon firther inspection of the image on the tv, there were two bars at the top and bottom that were about 1cm wide...These bars were not noticible unless you were about 2 feet away or closer but.

My general question here is, will this effect burn in at all, and do they make dvd;s in the correct widescreen format?

At 9.5' viewing distance I'm still torn on 42" vs 50". I have a RPLCD right now and got a 50" because I watch all 4:3 content as 4:3 due to no fears of burn-in. With50" showing 4:3 contents, I'm getting about equivalent of 40" 4:3 image. I didn't want to get a TV at the tiem and watch it as a size smaller than my 32" CRT.

With a plasma, I woudl stretch everything to 16:9 (i also found out that Media Center's zoom modes are pretty good). So overall the picture is larger, so I'm thinking that a 42" might be better.

Anyone have regrets buying a 42"?

At 9.5' viewing distance I'm still torn on 42" vs 50". I have a RPLCD right now and got a 50" because I watch all 4:3 content as 4:3 due to no fears of burn-in. With50" showing 4:3 contents, I'm getting about equivalent of 40" 4:3 image. I didn't want to get a TV at the tiem and watch it as a size smaller than my 32" CRT.

With a plasma, I woudl stretch everything to 16:9 (i also found out that Media Center's zoom modes are pretty good). So overall the picture is larger, so I'm thinking that a 42" might be better.

Anyone have regrets buying a 42"?
I'm sitting a few feet further than you and I sometimes wish I had the 50". Having said that, I was coming from a 27" CRT....and this 42" is a huge step-up for me. When I find myself think about the 50"...I have to think of where I was coming from and then I smile and enjoy my show.

At 9.5' viewing distance I'm still torn on 42" vs 50". I have a RPLCD right now and got a 50" because I watch all 4:3 content as 4:3 due to no fears of burn-in. With50" showing 4:3 contents, I'm getting about equivalent of 40" 4:3 image. I didn't want to get a TV at the tiem and watch it as a size smaller than my 32" CRT.

With a plasma, I woudl stretch everything to 16:9 (i also found out that Media Center's zoom modes are pretty good). So overall the picture is larger, so I'm thinking that a 42" might be better.

Anyone have regrets buying a 42"?
I think that most people on this forum say to go bigger then you think you need, that being said, I am still going with the 42" and I am 9 1/2 feet back in a room that is only 12'x 13', I just feel that a 50" would look too big in my little "dungeon"

i just wet over 200 hrs this weekend i hav had my pl4260n for 30 days now and i still see alot of image ret. especially whn playn 360 i mostly play the nba2k6 and after one game 7min quarters i can see the xbox 360 sign in the corner it goes away after i watch tv for a couple hours is this bad tht i keep doin tht. why r theese tvs so suseptable to image ret. my last plasma wasnt at all. ( u hav to look real close to your set on a black scene and you can see the image ret. plz help am i just being paranoid

Wow, seems like a lot of people are having trouble with this decision as well as myself. Good to know I'm not alone. I've found that this comparison site has helped me a lot.
http://www.cavecreations.com/tv2.cgi

While the 50" would be nice, I think a 42" will be fine and I'll use the extra money for other stuff. Besides, the next time I go to buy a TV a 50" (10+ years) it will probably cost about half of what it does today.

I just brought the 5060 home from BB last Friday and installed it in place of a 50" Vizio on the wall.
I love the black and speakerless look of the 5060 and which looked perfect matching my spks on the side.

That said, the jury is still out regarding the PQ.
I'm now starting to thing there's a reason why manufacturers just don't go listening to their customers and just make TVs with a nice black finish all around.
Its because comparisons with the black frame to the depth of its black level will be very obvious.
With the silver Pany's, the black level, which I'm sure is already quite good, will look even better in contrast.

I first saw the 5060 in Ken Cranes next to the Pioneer Elite.
Subsequently, BB has the 5060 next to a Pioneer as well!!
I'll say its tough to compare the 5060 next to the almighty Pios at > $2k more.
I guess HP don't have enough clout yet in the TV dept. to avoid sitting next to the obvious.
Try as I may but understandly so, I just could not match the PQs.

In short, there are at least three major drawbacks to the 5060:

1 - The black levels are just not, eh, black enough and no amount of tuning can get you there. Some scenes are better than others and obviously its dependent on the scene. One may not missed it if you no other frame of reference.
2 - As mentioned by someone else here, I have that tiny scan? line at the top of the display as well. This appears in some situations, both hd and non-hd. The HD source I recall was a 720p, 4:3, so that might have something to do with it.
3 - Also as mentioned here, the tv is just not as 'smooth' as the better ones. There is an element of edginess that may be toned down quite a bit with the sharpness settings. I finally settled on ~20 but still not quite what I'm used to. The up side is that it did seem more detailed than the others including the 50" Pioneer Elite which I though missed details in the darker portions of the scene. Again, it could be an adjustment thing.

I have mine hooked up via HDMI to a Sony DVR and via comp to a Sony DVD at 480p.

Hint #1:
The set comes defaulted to energy saving. Change that in the system menu and startup will be instantaneous.

Hint #2:
Only use the User Mode. The other settings are horrendous. Once mine was adjusted in User Mode, the black levels as well as PQ were much, much better. The big ones are brightness, contrast and sharpness. This is very evident when you use the Screen button to toggle through the different Modes.

Good luck.

cool xsn0 wht do u hav your settings at my brite and contrast r at 36 and sharpness 50 i think it looks great but if you could help me i would appreciate it hav u also noticed the bad image ret.

i read in the manuel the first couple of pages it says whn a static image is left on the screen for an extended period it darkens the image or sumthn like tht i will let u know the exact page # whn i get home but i asked hp and they didnt kno wht i was talkn about. yesterday i was playn nba2k6 and the whole screen got alot darker just all of a sudden it was the 4th quarter so the ticker had been ther for like 35 mins or so but the ticker disappears whn replays are shown and i always let the replays play. can anyone help me or has anyone experianced the same thing

XSN0 - - - Could you post your user settings please? The edginess of DVD's(even progressive scan) is driving me crazy. I must say that HDTV looks pretty awesome, but 480P dvd sources look average at best.

xsn0, how does the 5060 compare to the Vizio 50'' set?

I'll post my current settings when I get home tonight.
After numerous tries, I think my brightness is around 30 while brightness is at 50 or even more. This is to counter the lack of contrast I perceive with this screen.

I haven't noticed any image retention or at least enough to bother me.

I thought the Vizio was pretty good PQ-wise but left a whole lot to be desired. There was noise from the two fans, osd kinda sucks and if you complain about the HP's remote, well ... Overall, the product design is not there and the immaturity shows. In the end, I didn't want to end up with a no name brand unit without any history. Especially since I've heard the return rate is quite high and there are now other offerings for a few hundy more.

is the image ret. tht i am seeing normal am i worrying to much

can anyone answer my #186 post

i read in the manuel the first couple of pages it says whn a static image is left on the screen for an extended period it darkens the image or sumthn like tht i will let u know the exact page # whn i get home but i asked hp and they didnt kno wht i was talkn about. yesterday i was playn nba2k6 and the whole screen got alot darker just all of a sudden it was the 4th quarter so the ticker had been ther for like 35 mins or so but the ticker disappears whn replays are shown and i always let the replays play. can anyone help me or has anyone experianced the same thing
I too saw something about that in the owners manual. It's some form of protection against burn-in. I haven't experienced it though. I'm pretty careful about not leaving an image on the screen. I do remember wondering exactly how the technology works when I read that. I guess the system must know if a certain pixel or field of pixels is/are displaying the same exact color/brightness (i.e. a menu bar) for more than a specified period of time.

Within the last hour or so, I've decided to return the HP.
The decision was made pretty easy when I found out one of the sponsors here is selling the Pany 8uk *less* than the HP. Add the much delayed hdmi board and shipping cost but save on the sales tax and it even cost less than the HP and shipped as well.

Sight unseen and sure its last years model but it will be tough to not be happy with a commercial Pany. Besides I don't need the spks nor tuner.

This is definitely the end of my hauling 50" screens back and forth.

Good luck.

[QUOTE=flyjar]Wow, seems like a lot of people are having trouble with this decision as well as myself. Good to know I'm not alone. I've found that this comparison site has helped me a lot.

Thanks for the reference. I've been trying to figure out how a new 42" plasma would compare in size to my old 36" crt. This told me exactly what I needed to know.

lowbar

[QUOTE=flyjar]Wow, seems like a lot of people are having trouble with this decision as well as myself. Good to know I'm not alone. I've found that this comparison site has helped me a lot.

Thanks for the reference. I've been trying to figure out how a new 42" plasma would compare in size to my old 36" crt. This told me exactly what I needed to know.

lowbar
If you're coming from a 4:3 36" CRT, keep in mind that a 42" TV will display 4:3 content (with black bars on the side) in a 34" box. This would of course only be the case when NOT using any of the HP's zoom features. I'm talking strictly about displaying 4:3 content with side bars.

A 50" plasma would display 4:3 content in a 41" block. So, the 50" would make 4:3 content larger than what you're used to with that 36" CRT. The 42", on the other hand, would be a step backwards and cause you to loose a couple of inches when displaying 4:3 content. Just something to keep in mind:)

XSNO - Where are you finding that panny? I'd love to get into a 42" in that model.

[EDIT] Visual Apex.
I see they have the 42" 8uk also.

Good luck.

At 9.5' viewing distance I'm still torn on 42" vs 50". I have a RPLCD right now and got a 50" because I watch all 4:3 content as 4:3 due to no fears of burn-in. With50" showing 4:3 contents, I'm getting about equivalent of 40" 4:3 image. I didn't want to get a TV at the tiem and watch it as a size smaller than my 32" CRT.

With a plasma, I woudl stretch everything to 16:9 (i also found out that Media Center's zoom modes are pretty good). So overall the picture is larger, so I'm thinking that a 42" might be better.

Anyone have regrets buying a 42"?

I'm at 9' from my 50"; my first impression (coming from a 31" CRT) was ohmigod, it's huge when viewing "normal" TV. I'm getting used to it now, and anyway, I bought it for a future home theater and wanted the bigger set. For movies it's awesome. A friend has a 42" Pioneer, and at 12' viewing it looks way too small. Of course he also has a home theater with a 65" RPCRT for the big experience.

i just wet over 200 hrs this weekend i hav had my pl4260n for 30 days now and i still see alot of image ret. especially whn playn 360 i mostly play the nba2k6 and after one game 7min quarters i can see the xbox 360 sign in the corner it goes away after i watch tv for a couple hours is this bad tht i keep doin tht. why r theese tvs so suseptable to image ret. my last plasma wasnt at all. ( u hav to look real close to your set on a black scene and you can see the image ret. plz help am i just being paranoid

Have you tried the "white wash" in the menu?

the white wash helps to remove image ret. not prevent it. I am askn why this panel is so suseptable to image ret. and is that normal i had a gateway plasma b4 the hp and i never noticed any image ret. but the contrast on the gateway was only 500:1 not 10000:1 does that make a differance? by the way thanx for tryn to help falsedown wht kind of plasma do u got

the white wash helps to remove image ret. not prevent it. I am askn why this panel is so suseptable to image ret. and is that normal i had a gateway plasma b4 the hp and i never noticed any image ret. but the contrast on the gateway was only 500:1 not 10000:1 does that make a differance? by the way thanx for tryn to help falsedown wht kind of plasma do u got
Have you adjusted the brightness and contrast down for the first few hundred hours? Watching stuff in Vivid mode isn't necessarily a good idea early on. Playing video games early on might not be the best idea either.

I definetly notice the image rention....I have probably put about 15 hours on this tv so far. I noticed that if the fox logo is even on the screen for about 2 min, there is rentention on the screen. And it takes a while to go away. For example I just turned on my tv and I noticed that the initializing HP logo was still there after the tv booted up. I also noticed text from the menu there after only 20 sec....wierd....I hope this problem gets better after a while, I am woried about burn in at this point.

-sm

I haven't noticed any burn in yet on my 42 inch, but I also turned down the brightness and contrast levels before using it.

my bite and contrast is at 35 so thts not it and im way over 200 hrs so thts not it either and redbandit i am way over breakin mode and it is the same ret. but it does seem to disappear faster than a month ago

did anyone use avia or any other calib disk? if so can u plz let me know the right settings plz?

thx we are talkn about image retention not burn in. But thanx for the help its not a huge deal im just wondern why some people notice it and others dont. i think its mostly people dont kno how to look for it. i guess most everyone who bought this set is a newbie to the ht world. dont get me wrong im no expert i just hoped to find one here

the only reason why i am so interested is bcuz i had one of the worst looking plasmas of all time gateway/sampo the pq was just horrible compare to the hp or any other panel for tht matter. anyways, i never once seen any image ret. at all n i used to watch espn all day n 360 all nite. and i didnt even know about break in period or lower contrast in fact my gateway was always set to 100 contrast which was the max bcuz the pq was so dark. why is the hp so suseptable to image ret does it mean burn is easier to get on the hp?

I just got my PL4260N yesterday from BB. I'll share my limited experience thus far before I ask for your advice on my tuner problem.

I haven't satisfied myself with the DVD quality just yet. I used a non-progressive scan Sony via component cables with mixed results. I tried the only other player I have right now, a cheapo Cyberhome with progressive scan via component. Neither of them were spectacular. The edges are still a little to jaggy for my liking.

I don't really have an issue with the menus but it's my first plasma and I have nothing else to compare to.

The remote is very direction sensitive. If you're close to the TV like when you're adjusting the OTA antenna, and you try to hit the Info button to check the signal strength, it gets to be frustrating. You have to aim at the IR receiver. It may just be that the menu is trying to lock up on me. I'm not sure.

HD 720P and 1080i looks awesome! although I had a sound/picture sync issue on our local CBS affiliate. Would that be a local issue or a station issue most likely?

Now for my problems/questions:
I'm on analog cable for about three more weeks because I'm moving into a new house where I will use Dish HD (most likely). I'm currently using the built in tuner.

I know that the pic will be better after I move and I hope my switching issue I will describe will go away in the process.

First, for the equipment:
I bought an indoor UHF/VHF Philips antenna from Wallyworld:
Philips MANT410 (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2625059)

Now, it has a pass through where you feed the cable TV signal into the back. There is a power switch to turn the signal booster on and off and another switch to toggle between the OTA or Cable TV signal.

Now, the antenna issues:
When it works OTA for HD, it's great. However, performance seemed to drop significantly when I connected the cable TV signal to it even though nothing else had changed (same position, switch still on "Antenna"). It also seems to degrade my CATV signal to almost no picture at all even when I've changed the built in TV tuner back to CATV and switched the antenna to the same. So, there most likely has to be something better out there that is UHF/VHF and near the same price. I heard good things about a Radio Shack antenna but the exact model doesn't appear to be in production anymore. I know I'm asking a lot from a $30 indoor antenna too. :D

When I get to the new crib, I plan to use an attic based antenna with a signal booster. Almost all of my OTA broadcasts will come from within 7 degrees of each other so a decent antenna should do the trick.

Now for my TV related issue:
When I decide to watch broadcast HD or DTV (SD), I have to move the signal source from cable to antenna. At that point, the set wants to scan all analog channels to update the channel list. I don't really have a problem with that on the first time I switch there. However, when I want to go back to cable, the TV has totally forgotten all of the cable channels and I have to go through another scan. I know when you switch between signal sources (antenna/vs CATV), you can cancel the channel scan and I wouldn't mind having to do that if it remembered my DTV OTA settings but it doesn't.

In a nutshell, is there some way to intertwine the channel lineup where the source for one channel is OTA and the source for the next is CATV? If it were possible, can it be done with an OTA antenna and CATV feed without having to buy additional electronics? I can handle the purchase of a splitter or switch if necessary but I hardly want to spend big bucks for a month of TV. I'll worry more about the solution after I move. As I said earlier, I hope it will go away.

Once I have a Dish (jury's still out on which HD setup I should get): when you pay $5 extra a month for locals (in HD if/when available I assUme), doesn't the provider squash the signal a little to free up some headroom for other channels? Or, do they just put that little worthless antenna on the top of your dish and pull it down OTA like you originally would anyway? Does the Dish box allow you to mix sources and still channel surf or do you have to switch manually between OTA and Sat?

Finally, is there any Dish hardware with DVR that's previous to the latest HD receivers that will receive HD and not incur a monthly DVR fee? If I buy my own DVR, could it be possible to record HD signals from my Dish HD receiver? I'm still torn on which receiver to get. Since the 4260 doesn't have PIP built in, if I get the dual tuner HD receiver, will it bring PIP or POP capability with it? If not, it would seem cheaper to buy the single tuner without the DVR and purchase my own DVR if I can still record the HD signals. I'm going to post the Dish related questions over in the Dish forum but I thought I'd ask here too since it's somewhat specific to my TV.

Thanks in advance if you made it this far in all of my rambling, :)
Jeff

Update! I've seen the light! Check out my later post. I got the reception and switching figured out and I tweaked the pic settins as well. Much much better.

What are the titles of some of the calibration disks and can you pick them up locally in most cases? I saw one at Kmart the other day. I'm not sure if it's worth the $15 there or not.
Thanks again,
Jeff

Get the Dish 622 DVR, you will have pip, but not pop.

Thanks Dan. I'm also "jonesing" about the 42" Panny. It's got more colors and even when I watch CBS OTA HD 1080i, I can sometimes see the gradations in colors as they fade from one shade to another on the HP. I doubt this is something that will go away. I wonder if the Panny does the same? They didn't have a 42" on display at BB when I bought the HP but I wouldn't think twice about taking it back and shelling out 400 more bones to walk out with the Panny. Heck, I'd even consider buying it online.
Jeff

Monsters Inc. looks pretty good but Pirates of the Caribbean .... not so good, jaggy.

After researching this for almost two months my girlfriend finally had enough and made me go buy one last night. Best Buy had the 42" on sale for $1900. I figured I wouldn't find much of a better deal in person anywhere. I'm not 100% sure if the picture quality is quite up to the Panasonic, but it is so close that unless they are right beside each other I can't tell a difference. I can't even tell a difference if there are a few TV's between them and I have to walk back and fourth to compare the Panasonic to the HP. So needless to say I couldn't justify the $400 extra for the Panasonic. I was really leaning towards getting an LCD flat panel just because of their anti-glare screens and because they aren't quite as fragile as Plasma's, but an LCD that matches the size and quality (Samsung LN-S4051D or Sony KDL-40S2000) of Plasma runs least $2700 (unless you want to mail order it). Anyway; BB is supposed to deliver on Sunday, I can't wait.

One more thing...

Does anyone know of a decent inexpensive HD antenna? I know Apple is on the verge of announcing a downloadable a la carte TV service in a few months so I don't want sign a one year contract with Direct TV until I see what Apple is going to offer. I also don't want to use Time Warner cable here in Charlotte because from what I've seen of their HD service it isn't worth the money. Besides, all I watch anyway are a few network series, HBO series, and DVD's. I can get the network shows OTA and I can either download the HBO series via bit torrent or rent them once they're out on DVD.

Monsters Inc. looks pretty good but Pirates of the Caribbean .... not so good, jaggy.

Pirates of the Caribbean looks spectacular on my 50" from 9'.

Hooked it up yesterday,it was looking good right out of the box, but I turned down contrast and brightness. I put the speakers on the floor and I am surprised how good they sound, might just abandon my Pioneer a/v unit when watching certain programs, save some juice. HD is for sure a WOW factor, some SD is good, some not so good, DVDs look fine. This morning I did a THX calibration off the Pearl Harbor cd, when I finished it was just about what the factory had set in the panel, I went ahead and lowered contrast and brightness again, but it still looks great in a fully lit room with one 6 foot window with shades open. I have Dish with a VIP-622 and there is a difference in pq between Voom channels and other HD channels, but it still looks very good. I might add that I have seen no reflections off the panel, maybe because I have the panel on top of my entertainment center where I am looking up a little.

Hello DirtyDan,

Do you use HDMI from your 622?

Yes I do, but I have all outputs hooked up, seems to me that HDMI is a tad better then Componet, I tried S-video on some of the weaker SD channels and it does not seem to improve pq enough to be switching to it.

Does anybody have a remote code for the 4260n to use on a Dish VIP 622 DVR, only one I found only turns the panel on and off?

One more thing...

Does anyone know of a decent inexpensive HD antenna? I know Apple is on the verge of announcing a downloadable a la carte TV service in a few months so I don't want sign a one year contract with Direct TV until I see what Apple is going to offer. I also don't want to use Time Warner cable here in Charlotte because from what I've seen of their HD service it isn't worth the money. Besides, all I watch anyway are a few network series, HBO series, and DVD's. I can get the network shows OTA and I can either download the HBO series via bit torrent or rent them once they're out on DVD.

Eparks,
First, if you're looking for an indoor antenna, it's actually more important where you put it and the care you take in aiming it at the towers than what you buy. Check out Antenna Web (www.antennaweb.org). You do need a good deal of amplification but I'm not convinced it has to be expensive amplification as in $50+ on an indoor antenna. I bought one antenna (see post 208 in this thread) and I didn't like it. I could get all HD locals but two of about 10 local channels with the most distant being about 41 miles away. One of those two happened to be CBS and they are one of the few who pass along 1080i. ABC doesn't, at least not here. The reception was a little bit spotty with dropouts once every five minutes or so. I wasn't getting a full signal on the signal meter on the TV display. The best signal I get in fact (now) is all bars green except the last bar. Anyway, I took the 410 model back and got the next model up, the 510 and brought it home. I found out that the reason my passthrough cable reception went bad when I switched from ANT to Cable on the antenna itself, was because I was also turning off the amplifier. Apparently, it's best to leave it on. I realized this with the new model after some more tinkering. Thanks TONS to Philips for including instructions (there were NONE). Now, back to the point I was making. I brought the new antenna home and it wasn't much better. Maybe just a little. The amplification went from like 43 to 46 db on VHF (I have yet to get the one VHF HD station) and somewhere around 30 db for UHF boost. I attached a longer RG6 cable to the antenna, maybe 25 feet or so and started moving the antenna around the room and plugging it in at the nearest outlet. I ended up using an extension cord on the power cord too. Anyway, I found that the plant ledge that is about seven feet from my floor picks up all UHF channels with either two red bars or one red bar. I'm lucky, all of my UHF stations are within six or seven degrees of each other so I can get all of them without rotating the antenna. So, long story made short, higher is better in most cases. I originally sought the 15-1880 antenna that one of the links off of this site lead me to a review of many antennas and the only two that were any good were the 15-1880 Radio Shack set top antenna and a DB2 if I remember correctly. The DB2 is really an outdoor antenna so it became a no brainer. However, Radio Shack doesn't produce that model anymore. In fact, I'm tempted to go to my local Big Lots (it's a closeout store that sells refurbs, generics, etc.) and pick up a $10 Jensen or RCA antenna of similar design and similar boost and see what it does. If it's as good as this Philips, I'm taking it back to Wallyworld and getting $30 back. If I do that, I'll let you guys know.

Now for my color/picture issues. I've finally had a chance to watch a 1080i broadcast for more than a couple of minutes. I'm convinced that the picture issue isn't with my panel. I do think that HP cut a corner by putting in a digital comb filter instead of a 3D Digital Y2/C2 or whatever they are. It's not quite so bad now that I've had time to tweak the picture settings. I read over in the calibration thread that a good rule of thumb for your sharpness setting on almost all digital displays (including projectors) is 0! Yes, zip, nada. At the most, it should be 20 to 40% of the max setting. I looked at mine and it was waaay too high. I'm going to post my settings here in a minute and I'd love for other 42" owners to do the same. If you have different ones for DVD, I'd like to know them too. Falsedawn, I plan to give Pirates a second look now that I understand more about the picture setup. I'm not "jonesing" (think, keeping up with the Jones's) for a Panny nearly as bad as I was.

I also figured out how to deal with the OTA vs Cable issue for myself right now. I'll use my VCR's S-Video out and let the VCR do the cable tuning. It switches channels much faster than the HP anyway, about as fast as you can push the button actually.

I still don't have a DVD player. I've discussed the thought with a guy I know who is a HT dealer/installer as a side job. He said that upconverting is largely over rated. What's more imporant than the transmission method (HDMI vs Component) is the upconversion process itself. Your panel upconverts anyway after it gets the signal. So you have to ask yourself, will the DVD player do a better job of upconverting the image than my TV? I suspect that only your eyes (or someone else's you trust as in reviews, etc.). I'm not sure if the 3:2 pulldown function on a DVD player is the same thing as what is called upconversion but if it's not, I'd say it's likely more important than upconversion itself (totally a hunch).

As for picture, I'm looking out the window at Conan OBrien right now. It's startling what 1080i and the correct (or better) picture settings can do for PQ.

Now for my settings, and like I said, they're not Gospel and I'd love to hear what you are currently using too.

Brightness: 63 <too high for break-in? Not sure, ticks me off that the manual doesn't mention break-in at all.

Contrast: 38
Saturation: 34
Hue: 0 <The warm color temp puts just a tinge more red in the pic and hue is fine for me at 0.
Sharpness is experimentally at 28. I might go lower.
As I mentioned earlier, my color temp is set to warm to get a tinge more red.

I haven't tried the HP speakers yet. I'm intrigued now tha they got a good mention.

Cheers,
Jeff

One more thing, the HDMI cable is digital, it would take some serious interference to impede the signal. The bottom line is, get the cheapest one you can find within reason. A $100 one is as good as a reputable $10 one of the same length. It would make more sense to spend money on a component cable because it's an analog elecrical signal which would be much more sensitive to interference. The same thing goes for coax digital and optical digital as well. I got a 6' optical digital paired with a decent S-Video at Big Lots for $6 and it works great. It's only S-Video anyway, why polish a turd?

I am set at brightness 40,contrast40,saturation 54,hue 0, sharpness 50
DVD is bright 40,cont.36,saturation 45,sharp 51.
The THX calibration called for higher brightness and contrast, but I put them lower for my break-in period. As to the speakers, I turned on the SRS wow thingy and am quite surprised at the result, but of course I still use the optical sound connection for anything that transmits surround sound. I think that having the speakers on a carpeted floor might have something to do with the speakers sounding pretty good.

Got my panel on Friday, so for so good I'm very impressed. Setup was a breeze and it looks really nice. However I'm not very impressed with the HDTV from Comcast. I got the basic package but only get about 7-10 channels is this normal? And of coarse most shows aren't even broadcast in HD, how annoying.

Anyone from NJ that has Comcast HD, what channels am I supposed to get? If I don't get any more, forget it, I'll go back to basic and buy an antenna, and get my 7 channels that way.

Well I'm happier now, it seems they didn't turn on all the channels until sometime Sunday morning. Now I get ESPN HD, Discovery HD, INHD 1 & 2, NETHD and more. All I can say is wow, especially Discovery HD, I was watching it for hours.

bump. still no audio from comcast via hdmi.

I am a newbie. Just purchased 4260N at BB yesterday [EDIT].

I am on Comcast with a 6412 DVR digital box. When I connected using just the HDMI cable I had video on the HD channels but no audio. Had audio and picture fine on non-HD channels. Connected with component cables and everything worked fine on both.

Comcast was no help on the audio issue and I couldn't find anything in the HP manual.

Everything else is great. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Roger

Thanks for posting this. My situation is very similar. I've got the 5060N, the 6412 III, and my cable company is a different company. I too am not getting audio from the HDMI cable. From the lurking and searching I've done, my best guess is that the motorola 6412 has some problem and I'm hoping the problem will fix itself
with a firmware update to the 6412.

I do not think it's a problem with the HP TV. For now I'm feeding my sound into my AV receiver.

Your post made me laugh. My cable company was less than no help on the problem. They had no idea that HDMI was suppose to give sound (the previous models of the 6412 had DVI and no HDMI).

If anyone else has the similar problem or knows the solution please post.

Thanks.

I had the same problem when I installed my son's Sammie DLP using Directv, since he didn't have an A/V unit I just used rca connections for sound and componet for video. As to myself I have HP PL 4260n and use HDMI with Dishnetwork, works fine, but I also use digital audio cable to my A/V.

Got my 5060 yesterday morning. One word - terrific. I have used the settings that other have shared, The picture looked wonderful on DVD (via component), Satellite (DISH 622 via HDMI), and antenna (better than I expected).

I was kind of worried about this order from HPShopping, I saw the 42 and 50 at my local BB, 42 looked very good, but the color on the 50 was all faded. I knew BB did a bad adjustment on the 50. But you can't help to worry a little, not any more.

The sound came from the speakers is more than acceptable. No popping/thumping like my returned Scepter 42 LCD. I always liked the color on the Sceptre LCD, but HP just does it better, and the black level is also much better.

Got my panel on Friday, so for so good I'm very impressed. Setup was a breeze and it looks really nice. However I'm not very impressed with the HDTV from Comcast. I got the basic package but only get about 7-10 channels is this normal? And of coarse most shows aren't even broadcast in HD, how annoying.

Anyone from NJ that has Comcast HD, what channels am I supposed to get? If I don't get any more, forget it, I'll go back to basic and buy an antenna, and get my 7 channels that way.

Did you get the HD cable box and use the component hookup? Much better that way. Although not much programming on HD the PQ is much better on those channels that are available.

I'm considering buying an HP PL5060N. I was in Micro Center today looking at the TV and when there was a still picture on the screen it looked great. When a fast scene was being displayed, such as a basketball game, the picture seemed to blur a bit. The moving objects (players in this case) blurred and lines were not sharp....almost as if the pixel movement was not keeping up with the speed of the image. The sales rep felt this was due to thier connectivity and was not a normal characteristic of the TV.

Has anyone with this TV at home experienced such picture quality problems?

I'm considering buying an HP PL5060N. I was in Micro Center today looking at the TV and when there was a still picture on the screen it looked great. When a fast scene was being displayed, such as a basketball game, the picture seemed to blur a bit. The moving objects (players in this case) blurred and lines were not sharp....almost as if the pixel movement was not keeping up with the speed of the image. The sales rep felt this was due to thier connectivity and was not a normal characteristic of the TV.

Has anyone with this TV at home experienced such picture quality problems?

J9Bean,
Most plasmas are going to tear the image a little when there is fast motion, at least in my experience. You can adjust the picture settings to make this less noticeable with very little sacrifice in overall picture quality.
Jeff

Does anyone know what difference the power save mode makes on power consumption? I know it's supposed to start up (power on) faster in one mode but uses more power in it's off (sleep) state. In the other mode, it turns on slower but uses less power when it's not on. If we're talking only a few watts, then it might be less of a hassle to set it to power on faster. It would also be less of a headache for my Harmony remote since the TV can't receive input selection commands while it's initializing. If I press "watch a DVD" and the TV was powered off while on the RF/Cable input, I'll have to go into the device specific commands for the TV and change the input. I'm going to post more about the remote control issue over in the remotes forum but I wanted to see if anyone knew what the pros and cons were about the two modes beyond just faster startup and "consumes more/less power". Another thought, do you think that the fast start mode which puts the TV to sleep would be more susceptible to power surges? Could it also reduce the lifetime of the electrics?
Thanks,
Jeff

This power mode question might be best answered with a call to HP. As to Harmony question, I think you can set like a 20,000ms delay or what ever that function is called. Which Harmony do you have?

Which Harmony do you have?

I've got the 628. If I set the delay to way up like that, wouldn't I have to make sure that the remote is aimed at the TV when it becomes available for commands? Stupid question but... I'm thinking that if the quick startup is much faster (haven't even tried it yet), it might be worth the few extra dollars a month in power if it's not too much.
Jeff

Read the first "Sticky" at the Remote forum it explians this pretty well, all that delay does is wait an assigned amount of time before it sends the next command.

These are last years models..the new models for this year are the PL4200N and PL5000N..the new models have the cable card slot...

These are last years models..the new models for this year are the PL4200N and PL5000N..the new models have the cable card slot...You've got it backwards! The 4200N and 5000N are 2005 models (made by Panasonic), the 4260N and 5060N are their replacements for 2006 (made by LG according to the scuttlebutt).

I've had a 5000N since mid December, but it stopped working in March, and had to be replaced, three times, what a nightmare. I enjoyed everything about my 5000N, except the no codes for the remote. I'm a photographer and from time to time I want to view images from CF card or SD card, it's such a great feature. Well after my third TV, HP offered to send me their newest product the 5060N. I was a bit worried because the retail cos was $2999, compared to the $4000, for the original 5000N, but I thought I'd give it a shot, what do I have to lose.

The 5060 looks better that the 5000N (which by the way is still sitting on the floor face down, awaiting pickup). It has a classier look, not high gloss cheesy black finish. It has no CF or SD card slots, no front panel AV inputs, and the speakers sound better. I hooked up everything, same cables, but I'm not getting a signal from my HDMI, so I connected via composite (did I do something wrong?). I think the picture was better on the older 5000N, but I try to tweak this one to get the PQ better.

If anyone has a troubleshooting tip to fix my 5000N, I'll stick it back on the wall. The problem is it shuts off after about 30 seconds, and the little red light blinks. HP says it a problem with the energy saving circuit, (well I guess they are right, it does save me energy since it powers down).

My 5000N remote works with the 5060, which has more buttons and features. I think I'll keep it, and return the lackluster remote that came with the 5060, when they come to retrieve the broken tv.

Who are you going to believe? Some dumbass salesman, or HP themselves? My HP LCD TV does not have PIP so the salesman is already wrong about "all HP TVs having PIP". And there is no mention of PIP whatsoever in the specs or in the User Manual i just downloaded, nor any buttons for it on the remote.

Last year's PL5000N was based on the Panasonic PX500U which does have PIP, but the new model is an LG so one can't just assume it has PIP like last year's model.

Unfortunately the 5000N did not have PIP, and neither does the 5060, I have both.

You've got it backwards! The 4200N and 5000N are 2005 models (made by Panasonic), the 4260N and 5060N are their replacements for 2006 (made by LG according to the scuttlebutt).

Rich you are correct..I called EPP...the discontinued the cable card model..too many issues, etc...so I can get this baby for 1599.00....it states it has a 10000/1 contrast ratio...

Hey folks,

Thanks for everyone's comments. I bought a 5060 over the phone yesterday. I saw it at CES a few months back (at least I assume that was "this year's" model). It will be replacing a 32" CRT from 10 years ago!!! SilverSensor Attena, HDMI cable, & a progressive scan DVD are waiting for its arrival...

...I'll write back with my experiences after it's set-up!

--rowdy

Unfortunately the 5000N did not have PIP, and neither does the 5060, I have both.I don't know about the 5060N but unless you're describing PIP in the strictest sense (Picture IN Picture) the 5000N has split screen and allows you to resize or swap the dual images, so it certainly has the functionality of PIP. What it does not have is dual tuner PIP, in other words your images must come from different sources, but my STB/DVR serves as the second tuner.

Hey folks,

Thanks for everyone's comments. I bought a 5060 over the phone yesterday. I saw it at CES a few months back (at least I assume that was "this year's" model). It will be replacing a 32" CRT from 10 years ago!!! SilverSensor Attena, HDMI cable, & a progressive scan DVD are waiting for its arrival...

...I'll write back with my experiences after it's set-up!

--rowdy

The HP PL4260 is the 2006 model. I was wrong (seems normal these days)...ley us know how it performs...

I don't know about the 5060N but unless you're describing PIP in the strictest sense (Picture IN Picture) the 5000N has split screen and allows you to resize or swap the dual images, so it certainly has the functionality of PIP. What it does not have is dual tuner PIP, in other words your images must come from different sources, but my STB/DVR serves as the second tuner.

I'm not as happy with the 5060 as I was the 5000N.

VT

Comcast DCT 3412 does not provide audio over HDMI. Comcast has been very cooperative trying to isolate the problem. After swapping out 4 different DCT boxes, they finally brought a SONY HD set to my house to prove other sets in the area work fine with their equipment. The SONY worked fine using their box and HDMI. Comcast said they have heard of other problems with HP and HDMI.

I called HP and they said the DCT puts out Dolby 5.1 and the HP set does not recognize it. I don't know if this is accurate and I'm waiting for level 3 support to get back to me. The component cables work fine but I can't get to the digital audio option on the plasma (yellow labeled warning on the menu saying digital audio only available with Digital TV). I know I can use the surround sound system to get digital audio via the optical out on the DCT to my DVD surround sound but that's not the issue. The TV should support audio over HDMI from the DCT box.

Question: does anyone have HDMI audio w/the TV speakers working with their set? If so what is the cable box and company? You can post here or respond directly to my email.
Thanks

I have an HP PL 4260n hooked to a Dish VIP 622 and HDMI works fine

I second Dan on the HDMI connection, no problem at all.

Anyone know how to adjust the brigtness and the contrast down for the startup HP screen? I see a little bit of IR after first booting up. My setting on all my inputs are low but the start up screen is very bright and rather annoying.

Anyone know how to adjust the brigtness and the contrast down for the startup HP screen? I see a little bit of IR after first booting up. My setting on all my inputs are low but the start up screen is very bright and rather annoying.
My 42" is set at
Bright. 40
Contrast 40
Saturation 54
Hue 0
Sharpness 35

I wouldn't worry about start-up logo, on mine I also get a Dishnetwork logo that moves around the screen til I turn the Dish reciever on, if I wait awhile I can see very faint IR from both logos, this goes away as soon as some regular content is displayed.

I kno what you are saying flyjar but if you look closer on a all black scene after any picture there is ir thats what ive been talkn about for the past 20 posts watch any channel for a minute or so then switch to a all black scene (change sources for a quik black screen look real close like half a foot to a foot and you will see anything leaves ir very annoyng but not to worry it goes away after a few minutes of other programing but that still sux neway does anyone no where to find a review