Panasonic PZ80/PZ85 Calibration Thread (Updated first post) - Page 25

That happens because no overscan (size 2) is actually only active for 1080i or 1080p inputs. When you switched to 720p (or 480p/480i) format the set automatically does the 2.5% cropping on all four sides just like with size 1.

They are in the service menu. Somewhere back in this thread (many times in fact) it's been stated how to get in there... though I'm not sure of the exact pages it's on. But basically you hold the Volume Down button (on the side of your plasma itself) down and while doing that, hit the "Info" button on your remote 3 times. Then release the Volume button. A few seconds after that, the TV will go into the service menu. You toggle through the menu's with the 1 and the 2 button on your remote. Arrow up and down through the submenu's. Buttons 3 and 4 on your remote change the values. Anytime you change a value, it is AUTOMATICALLY written to the ROM. Hit the power button on the TV when done to escape.

Remember, before you do anything to go through the menu's (1 & 2 on the remote) and write everything down first. Please take my advice on this, do not change anything until that is completely done.

Is C.A.T.S. just an automatic brightness control or is there more to it?

Seeing as I do not have time to go thru 25 pages, I will ask this question. What are the baseline settings/things I need to know to avoid burn-in and ir? I have the picture settings at around 40 and the sharpness at 50. I should do this for the first 200 hrs, right? Also, is it enough just to be at 50 or below or should they be at different intervals in the break-in period? I guess what I am asking is, is it ok for them to all be at 40, or do they need to break in all at 50, or some at 45, etc.....? Also, how about the pixel orbiter? What should it be set at? Color temperature? Is it ok to play XBOX 360 in the first 200 hrs? Thanks in advance for all answers.....

Quick answer:

1st 100 hrs

Picture and brightness at 50 or lower
View everything in Just or Zoom (no bars)
I'd keep the gaming to short stints of less than 1 hr if it were me.
I have my Pixel Orb set to Force 1 min

Thanks again. You are my new best friend......

Glad to be of help.

Check the FAQ in my signature, posted over in the owners thread. Still a work in progress but...

It is supposed to be an automatic brightness control of some sort, but in actuality it does nothing but make the picture darker. Pretty much useless, at least on my set.

SO i change it into those settings before i start the break in right?

I'm getting ready to buy the PZ80 from CC and the salesman told that the cost of calibration is $150....Is the calibration cost worth it? Should I wait until after the 100 hr breakin?

I work at CC in the tv department and the calibration is done by someone who has no clue about what they are doing but we still offer it. Get it done by a pro. Anyways I cannot find good settings for gaming. Cinema is just too dull and custom looks unnatural with too much noise. Anybody have good settings or is this a calibration problem.

You should save another $200 and have it calibrated professionally. Also, you should wait till its broken in.

Yeah, definitely avoid anyone from CC or BB calibrating your tv lol

If you dont like the cinema settings in this thread, this tv is not for you. The Calibration wont help that much.

What settings did you have under cinema??

The FAQ looks great......just curious, where did you come across those "initial" settings? Was it just by trial and error? Thanks again....

The first post of this thread

Yo ho! LB beat me to it!

my settings in cinema are
Picture 70
Brightness 54
Color 40
Temp Norm
everything else off with size 2
While this looks terrific with movies, gaming requires a bit more Pop. Things like Halo and Madden look dull and uninspiring.

Color should be more around 41-41, Pic is OK, brightness is too high (50-51). Temp should be warm. This will get you as good as possible without a grayscale adjust. The picture could appear washed because the color is a tad low and the brightness is too high.

Yeah, but those(the first post) aren't the break-in settings, right? I guess I was just wondering where they originated. Also, this may be a dumb question, but I have those same break-in settings set under standard and not cinema. Does that matter or are those just names that can be customized which have no other bearing except being names? Thanks... Sorry for being such a newbie......

Oops, sorry, right you are. The first post settings are calibration settings, guidelines for the post-100hr. mark. The initial string were based on Tom Huffman's settings, he's an ISF calibrator. The Break-In FAQ settings are based partly on Panasonics own website and the consensus of experienced users here.

Most everybody here agrees that Cinema is the best way to go on this set. The other settings introduce excessive noise. The posited theory here being that only Cinema mode is doing gamma settings correctly, while all the others are skewed introducing excessive noise. None of this matters one wit for your break-in settings though, other than the fact that Cinema looks superior.

Personally I always use Cinema as I bought a plasma specifically for it's film like quality which is what Cinema is trying to mimic (and very well at that).

As always, thank you...........

Are they on the screen long enough to worry about?

No.

I feel like my 5yr old son. "Daddy what does this mean? Daddy, why is the sky blue?" lol............

Why IS the sky blue?

LOL........I don't know, I can't even take care of my TV...

Wait the sky really is blue? Here in Oklahoma it's always grey!