Fluctuating Brightness (FBr) Patch Information (North America)
Do you see brightness fluctuate on your 2011 Panasonic 3D TV (ST30, GT30, VT30) every once in a while? For example, does the entire screen, or portions of the background, go dim/fluctuate/drop/pop/etc. when scenes change? If CATS is off, if you aren't watching poor source material (i.e. cable/satellite/internet...especially hockey and basketball where lights flash no matter what), and if your settings are not ridiculous (don't use Standard or Vivid), then it is likely you are noticing "fluctuating brightness." Others have noticed this and have voiced their concerns to Panasonic. Lucky for us, Panasonic listened to the complaints, noticed the problem, and has patched it. The only way to receive the patch is through an EEPROM update that requires a technician visit (no, it is not available through an internet firmware update in North America, so don't ask). Depending on the authorization received by Panasonic, the technician will either flash your TV with an SD Card, or install a new A-Board. Both of these methods will correctly patch your TV and it's up to Panasonic as to which patch you receive. Most people receive a new A-Board. The only way to get this patch is to call and open a case with Panasonic. The SD Card/A-Board patch is covered by warranty (FREE).
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How to get the fluctuating brightness patch:
1. Call Panasonic at 1-800-211-7262 and tell them you see fluctuating brightness on various content (cable, blu-ray, etc.). Make sure to have the TV in front of you when you call.
2. The Panasonic rep will ask you basic questions like if CATS is off, if you have the latest firmware, which settings you use, serial number, etc.
3. Tell them you still see fluctuating brightness with CATS off and the latest firmware installed.
4. Right then, or maybe a phone call later, they should schedule a technician visit to flash your TV with an SD Card, or install a new A-Board (this is most likely). Note that owners of 42" models may need to personally transport the TV to the technician to get serviced.
5. If for some reason they don't know about the update, tell them you want the EEPROM update that is on the SD Card or A-Board that everyone else is getting. Also, tell them the technical bulletin for fluctuating brightness is "Service Reference SH-B34-11-03-REV." This reference number should send the Panasonic representative directly to the right source of info. If you are still having problems then ask for management.
Note that sets that were built in August 2011 and afterward should already have the patch installed (the build date will be on a sticker on the back of the TV). In addition, sets with the serial number of XX1215XXXX and above should already have the patch applied (the serial number will be on the outside of the box, as well as the back of the set). Note that you don't need to have both an August build AND a 1215 serial number. If your set was built prior to August 2011, it is likely you have a set with fluctuating brightness; however, it has been reported that some sets manufactured as early as July, and/or sets with serial numbers of 1213/1214, have already had the patch applied from the factory. Also, many have reported that some stores have had Panasonic patch older sets in their inventory. Thus, it is very possible to receive a patched set that was built before August, and/or with a serial number less than 1215. The best way to confirm is to check your PDP EEP values (see below PDP EEP values).
If you have a patched value, then make sure you don't cry wolf about fluctuating brightness. Many new owners with patched values often claim to see fluctuating brightness, but in reality they are most likely seeing fluctuations introduced by a poor source (cable/satellite/streamed internet), or an event that has flashing lights such as basketball and hockey. Before you return your perfectly fine TV, or have Panasonic needlessly patch an already patched set, make sure you 100% know you are seeing fluctuating brightness on a high quality blu-ray that you are extremely familiar with.
Also, even though firmware 2.070 stated that it "Improves issue where the picture appears to dim and brighten randomly," it did not fix FBr (it apparently fixes some fluctuations that occur in vivid mode). Subsequent firmware updates have not provided the patch either. You can still update your firmware after the SD Card/A-Board patch, nothing bad will happen, it just won't patch FBr.
To do more research on the issue, type "2011 Panasonic Fluctuating Brightness Master Discussion Thread" in Google and click on the first link. Start by reading Gotchaa's post on page 204 (post 4079), then skip to the later pages in the thread to see people's responses after receiving the patch.
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Should I do anything before getting my TV patched? (OPTIONAL)
Many have noted that an A-Board swap may change some factory-set RGB-DRV and RGB-CUT values, which may alter the picture. It is recommended that each owner document these values prior to receiving the patch so that you can restore these values if/when you choose to do so. Note that many owners did/do not document or restore any DRV/CUT values and have not noticed a reduction in picture quality. That being said, if you are comfortable traversing the service menu it does not hurt to document the pre- and post-patch values just in case you want to restore them. If you are not comfortable traversing the service menu then don't bother as you will likely not notice a difference. To my knowledge, these values can be obtained by the following procedure:
[Note that I write "to my knowledge" because I haven't gone through the process of writing down DRV/CUT values. If you have, and want to update the procedure I have listed below, please let me know. All should note that this process is more complicated than just checking your PDP EEP value and you can damage your TV if you don't know what you are doing (look further down in this post for instructions to check your PDP EEP)]
1. Turn TV On.
2. With TV on, hold down the volume down (-) button on the right side of the TV (not the controller).
3. While holding down the volume (-) button, point the remote at the TV IR sensor and press the "info" button on the controller three times.
4. The service menu will pop up after a few seconds.
5. Press 1 on the remote twice to get to the WB-Adjust screen.
6. Press 7 on the remote to scroll through the color temperatures.
7. Press 3 on the remote to cycle through the R-DRV, G-DRV, B-DRV, R-CUT, G-CUT and B-CUT values (document these values pre-patch, and restore them post-patch).
8. Use Vol- or Vol+ to alter the values.
9. When you are done turn the TV off or unplug it.
SD and HD matrices will have different values, so you will need to enter the service menu two separate times and document/restore the separate RGB-DRV and RGB-CUT values for each matrix; use a 1080i/p signal for the HD matrix and 480i/p signal for the SD matrix.
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How do I know if I have the patch?
So your A-Board was swapped, you received an SD Card flash, you bought a set built after July/August and/or have a serial number greater than 1213/1214/1215, or you bought a set from a store that may have patched older builds and you want to know if your set received the patch. If you've seen FBr before, it is recommended to watch content where you previously saw FBr and see if it still shows up. If you want numbers, you need to check your PDP EEP value in the service menu since the PDP EEP value pre/post patch is different (value increases when you receive the patch). Each size and model has different values. Here are pre and post PDP EEP values from members who received the patch (accumulated by jhatfiel of high def junkies .com, and other HDJ and AVS forum members) (PM me with more data and I will update it here):
42ST30 A-Board swap (ceevee): 32.5c (pre); 33.51 (post)
42ST30 A-Board swap (mfrey0118): 33.51 (post)
42ST30 A-Board swap (EC8CH): 33.51 (post)
42ST30 A-Board swap (Saturn49): 32.5c (pre); 32.59 (post: didn't work); 33.51 (post post: worked)
46ST30 (Canada) SD update (Joepro): 42.5d (post)
46ST30 A-Board swap (artondrius): 42.5c (pre); 42.5d (post)
46ST30 A-Board swap (jhatfiel): 42.5b (pre); 42.5d (post)
46ST30 July 2011 build (QN52): 42.5d (from factory)
50ST30 A-Board swap (tazz3): 52.5d (post)
50ST30 A-Board swap (pt6998): 52.59 (post)
50ST30 A-Board swap (pannyjunky): 52.5b (pre); 52.59 (post)
50ST30 A-Board swap (samshaver): 52.59 (post)
50ST30 A-Board swap (jaydro): 52.5b (pre); 52.5c (post)
50ST30 A-Board swap (catcher1): 52.5b (pre); 52.5d (post)
50ST30 A-Board swap (adam2104): 52.5c (pre); 52.5d (post)
50ST30 SD update (mraak): 52.5d (post)
50ST30 SD update (jimmienoman): 52.5d (post)
50ST30 SD update (whipit/tailwhip): 52.5d (post)
55ST30 A-Board swap (lynxx): 63.52 (pre); 63.54 (post)
55ST30 A-Board swap (sceavis): 63.52 (pre); 63.54 (post)
60ST30 SD update (65Cobra427SC): 72.51 (pre), 72.53 (post)
60ST30 A-Board swap (Tag): 72.50 (pre), 72.53 (post)
60ST30 A-Board swap (moshock): 72.51 (pre); 72.53 (post)
60ST30 A-Board swap (ssft): 72.51 (pre), 72.53 (post)
60ST30 A-Board swap (Dackz): 72.53 (post)
60ST30 November 2011 build/MJ1314xxxx serial (mfrey0118): 72.53 (from factory)
65ST30 A-board swap (tfoltz): 82.53 (post)
65ST30 A-Board swap (tbass2k): 82.51 (pre); 82.53 (post)
65ST30 September 2011 build (Bucks): 82.53 (from factory)
50GT30 A-Board swap (bottomramen): 52.0b (pre); 53.41 (post)
50GT30 A-Board swap (MobileCortex): 52.0b (pre); 53.41 (post)
50GT30 A-Board swap (madwolfa): 53.41 (post)
50GT30 SD update (nickfro): 52.0b (pre); 53.41 (post)
55GT30 SD update (bsather): 62.43 (pre); 62.46 (post)
55GT30 A-Board swap (jimmyt): 62.43 (pre); 62.46 (post)
55GT30 A-Board swap (lsmd19): 62.44 (pre); 62.46 (post)
55GT30 A-Board swap (samdee): 62.44 (pre)
55GT30 July 2011 build (MarieAntoinette): 62.46 (from factory)
60GT30 A-Board swap (jigesh): 73.42 (pre); 73.44 (post)
60GT30 A-Board swap (rkings): 73.44 (post)
60GT30 August 2011 build/xx1213xxxx serial (Matt): 73.44 (from factory)
65GT30 SD update (RichB): 82.42 (pre); 82.44 (post) (note: perhaps 83.44?)
65GT30 SD update (sboychuck): 83.42 (pre); 83.44 (post)
65GT30 A-Board swap (davemelo): 83.44 (post)
65GT30 A-Board swap (JShare86): 83.42 (pre); 83.44 (post)
55VT30 A-Board swap (TitusTroy): 64.44 (pre); 64.47 (post)
55VT30 August 2011 build/MJxxxxxxxx serial (mvp2005fan): 64.47 (from factory)
55VT30 September 2011 build/xx1248xxxx serial (VFib): 64.47 (from factory)
65VT30 A-Board swap (sigmahigh): 84.46 (post)
65VT30 A-Board swap (jmpage2): 84.44 (pre); 84.46 (post)
65VT30 A-Board swap (jkozlow3): 84.44 (pre); 84.46 (post)
Just for emphasis: If you have a patched value and think you see FBr, make sure you 100% know you are seeing fluctuating brightness on a high quality blu-ray that you are extremely familiar with.
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How to get into service menu to check PDP EEP (Note that while this is a very easy process, you can damage your TV if you don't follow the instructions and don't know what you are doing; so stop now if you are nervous):
1. Turn TV On.
2. With TV on, hold down the volume down (-) button on the right side of the TV (not the controller).
3. While holding down the volume down (-) button, point the remote at the TV IR sensor and press the "info" button on the controller three times.
4. The service menu will pop up after a few seconds.
The default screen that pops up will show the PDP EEP value; don't push any other buttons. When you are done turn the TV off or unplug it.
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What does FBr look like?
Here are some pre/post A-Board swap videos that show fluctuating brightness has been removed on my 65ST30. Read the comments and watch in HD for best results.
Old:
2011 Panasonic 65ST30 - Fluctuating Brightness (Social Network 1)
New:
2011 Panasonic 65ST30 - Fluctuating Brightness (Social Network 1) *FIXED*
Old:
2011 Panasonic 65ST30 - Fluctuating Brightness (Social Network 2)
New:
2011 Panasonic 65ST30 - Fluctuating Brightness (Social Network 2) *FIXED*
Old:
2011 Panasonic 65ST30 - Fluctuating Brightness (Incredibles 1)
New:
2011 Panasonic 65ST30 - Fluctuating Brightness (Incredibles 1) *FIXED*
Old:
2011 Panasonic 65ST30 - Fluctuating Brightness (Inception)
New:
2011 Panasonic 65ST30 - Fluctuating Brightness (Inception) *FIXED*
Old:
2011 Panasonic 65ST30 - Fluctuating Brightness (Quantum of Solace)
New:
2011 Panasonic 65ST30 - Fluctuating Brightness (Quantum of Solace) *FIXED*
Old:
2011 Panasonic 65ST30 - Fluctuating Brightness (Ratatouille)
New:
2011 Panasonic 65ST30 - Fluctuating Brightness (Ratatouille) *FIXED*
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What's happening with the rest of the world?
Visit
this thread to see what is happening with the 2011 UK Panasonics .
PM me if you live somewhere other than NA or UK and have info to add here.
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If you find any of this information inaccurate or incomplete, let me know.