Does anyone know if I can use empty slot 1 for digital to digital connection?

Yea that's the slot I'm using for DVI-D, pure azz digital. Your PHD-6 series should work with it fine.

Even with the 6 series Panasonic Pro series plasma you can still add a digital expansion blade with either HDMI or DVI.
DVI: TY-42TM6D
HDMI: TY-FB7HM

I believe that the 6 series does not accept the HDMI blade, just the DVI blade. When the HDMI blade came out, there was a lot of discussion about this, and the conclusion was that it (the HDMI blade) would not work. FWIW, I have a 6 series with a DVI card (and a 9 series), and both work just fine with an HDMI->DVI cable to hook up HDMI output components.

I believe that the 6 series does not accept the HDMI blade...


That's correct. The HDMI Boards are not compatible with the 6th Generation Commercial Models.

The DVI blade works fine, as well as the HDMI>DVI connector. With a digital audio connector it is now all digital to digital.
Thanks to Visual Apex for great service in shipping the blade.

Visual Apex ain't that great. Newegg will kill it....

I just bought and installed a new DVI board from newegg, (TY-42TM6D). I plugged my DTV box via an HDMI>DVI wire. When I turned on the DTV box I got the guide to display but there was no video.
When I exited out of the guide the screen was black for about 15-20 seconds, then I got the "NO SIGNAL" message in the upper right hand corner of the screen. I tried turning the power off/on a couple of times, but couldn't even get the guide to display again.

Any ideas why this happened? Did I blow out the board, or do something wrong? Has anyone else experienced this?

Note that DVI can only accept 720p/480p/1080i -- not 480i. Therefore, make sure that your DTV box is set to output one of these. I have a Series3 Tivo, and just have the Tivo box set to output 1080i always. Note that you cannot use a "native" output format, as all of your SD channels will be/are 480i, and the DVI won't accept it.

If your DTV box does not have a format button on the unit -- such that you have to change your settings via the menus -- then you may temporarily have to hook up another TV to change the output to 720p, 1080i, or 480p.

Wowsers, you guys will put me out of business LOL

Confirmed that the series 6 PDPs accept DVI only with the TY-42TM6D DVI board. The later HDMI and newer model DVI boards are not supported.

TY-42TM6D has an M3 stereo mini jack for companion analog audio, it does not support digital audio.

Confirming that TY-42TM6D does not support 480i, so as mentioned you may need to hook up your source temporarily via analog to set it to output 480p, 720p, or 1080i.

TW

I should mention, too, that we had series 3 and 5 Panasonic plasmas, and they worked well with the 42TM6D board, and our current series 9 does. Apparently the 42TM6D works through series 10; starting with series 11, you need a different DVI board.

I should mention, too, that we had series 3 and 5 Panasonic plasmas, and they worked well with the 42TM6D board, and our current series 9 does. Apparently the 42TM6D works through series 10; starting with series 11, you need a different DVI board.

Correct. Undocumented and unsupported but there are reports over in the 11UK thread that the 42TM6D does work in the 11 series. The newer board, TY-FB11DD I think, will do the 1080p and 1080p 24 in the PF model 1080p Plasmas.

TW

I have the PHD6 plasma and been running VGA all years and been thinking of changing to DVI.

Would i get a sharper clearer picture if i added the DVI module to the plasma?

When we had a PHD3 (!!), I originally ran VGA, and then later switched to DVI. Frankly, I didn't notice much difference in the clarity of the picture. I wouldn't switch unless there are other reasons to.