Panasonic PZ80/PZ85 - "Color Flicker", "Brightness Shifting" Troubleshooting - Page 3

I just caught the end of "The Perfect Storm" on TNT HD. 10 minutes before the end of the movie there's a scene where it pans from the sky down to a church. During this panning my TV skips down in brightness in a stair step manner 3-4 times. TNT is showing a 2nd running back to back. Would anyone who's still online and has one of these newer Panny's mind checking theirs out for the brightness issue on the next broadcast? It's a great example. I'm going to record the SD version and see if it happens on that one too. Thank you.

I've been flipping back and forth between HD and SD TNT "The Perfect Storm". Scenes that exhibit the issue on TNT HD do not exhibit it on SD. To note the differences, the SD image is 4:3 so some of the material is clipped. This could affect the overall scene brightness and not trigger it. I played it back in both 4:3, stretched and Zoom modes, none exhibited the same brightness step down. I'll wait until the end of the movie to check for the same church scene as the HD. That one really showed it. I'm starting to think it could be a source/feed issue with TNT HD or Cablevision. I'll have to test it with DVD and Bluray to truly be sure.

Well the TNT SD does not exhibit the same issues as TNT HD. I have not seen the issue on other channels, except for SpeedTV on crappy SD. This evening, I tested the material on a portable LCD player and guess what.....the same thing occurred. I think I've pin pointed the problem for me, it's my cable feed, in particular TNT HD. I've sent an email to Cablevision to make them aware, although I doubt they'll do anything unless multiple people complain of the issue.

I didn't save my material for SpeedTV but the next time I see it I will DVR it and test it on my LCD to confirm it's SpeedTV.

I noticed the color flicker in windows explorer with my computer hooked up over the VGA input but otherwise I haven't noticed it in any picture mode over HDMI or component (including my computer which is now DVI->HDMI instead of VGA).

I also noticed the brightness adjustment, very easy to see in windows if you alt tab from a blank MPC screen with black background covering a white background to just the white background. However, in almost any film or 360 game it's pretty much unnoticable unless you REALLY look for it. Certainly not enough of a reason for me to dislike the TV.

The green fringing is still my biggest issue with the TV. I've had it for nearly a month now and it hasn't really gotten better. In some games it's virtually indetectable (in Gears of war MP I never see it) but in other games it hits you in the face. Namely Ninja Gaiden 2 with fast camera pans and COD4 when you look around quickly. Luckily it's less noticable than LCD motion blur most of the time.

It gets pretty annoying when you wants to watch a horror movie and the subtitles makes the brightness fluctuate. And when you want to calibrate the picture it is almost impossible to achieve good blacks before the "feature" kicks in. But that is true with my plasma wich is 2 years old now. I dont know about the new models.

I bought a Panny plasma May 2005 and this issue is why this forum intrests me. Its also why I don't own a plasma. First I thought it was called false contouring, then I thought it was floating blacks, now I find its just called flicker.

I went through warranty and got my money back. I own a Monster power conditioner so we can rule that out.

This problem just bewilders me. You would think it would have been solved by now. Do Pioneers flicker?

No offense but your commenting on a problem you had with a completely different TV 3 years ago. Why are you trolling this thread anyways? If you don't like plasma so much go back to the LCD forum and talk about it with your buddies, don't come post here. You even openly stated since 2005 you've had no intentions of buying a plasma yet you come post in a problem thread on the plasma forum? BTW false contouring and floating blacks are completely unrelated problems which shows just how much you know about plasmas. If we did this on the LCD forum all of you would be crying for us to get banned and yes we can see your post history and know exactly where you're coming from so don't try..

These guys are blaming PLASMA for the problem, its not. This is my second plasma and Ive never seen the problem.

Yes, I watched the you tube videos and I know what to look for. I think its a QC manufacturing issue.

Some people have XBR clouding, does that mean LCD technology sucks?? Uh nope.

QC?

<--- Acronym-challenged

Quality Control

There is something seriously wrong with you bud.

Removed some comments I forget that anybody can hide behind a keyboard.

Reality is this problem has been going on for years and nothing has been done. Newbies come here looking if there the only ones having this issue. But its an old problem!

My experience with my service center showed that it could be a quality control problem because my 50" Onyx had it and the service center had the same model in their showroom that didn't do it. My plasma was a two piece and my box hooked up to the service center display had brightness fluctuations. And other models had the issue and some not at least with a two piece you can replace the electronis that are in the box, which Panasonic tried but the second box had the same problem. Gave me my money back after 3 months of aggravation. Luck of the draw what I've always thought.

My suggestion is to take it back till you get one that doesn't do it.

he's not your bud, guy (sorry, had to be said).

I'm not your guy, bud. (South park fans? - you'll appreciate it)


Back on topic. I am one of the people with this problem. Yes, I am new to this forum. Yes, I do have a new TV. No, I am not a noob. I have owned a plasma for 2.5yrs prior to my pz80u. It was a px60u. I absolutely loved the 60u. No problems whatsoever.

Very intresting observations. My flicker experience was awful and made be go with LCD. Now if I would have been persistent and tried plasma again I'd probably been a plasma guy. But I went down the LCD road.

But you can see is "my set doesn't do it" then your shouldn't either. My experience with TV's is I became such a Sharp LCD fan that I did the exact same thing to others having banding problems.

But now I know its just finding a set that doesn't have issues that what were all looking for. If you can't return your set from where you bought it then you'll have to go down the warranty road. Pain in the butt! But can be done, but if like my experience you'll have to prove it. But seems from reading these forums that the TV makers operate pretty much the same "going thru warranty).

But I hope I've shared my experience so others can benefit from it. And for Patrick and spincut learn that just because your sets work have empathy for others whose don't. I learned that being a fanboy isn't very helpful or appealing.

Buddy you obviously have no idea what you're talking about and my TV has no problem, If you were standing in front of me right now I'd have no trouble calling you a few choice words worse other than "troll" that aren't appropriate in this forum. The only reason you edited your post is because it made you look bad and you obviously don't know anything about plasmas. Not that it really matters, it's quoted in permanence. Picking fights on the internet isn't very fruitful unless you can back them up with your head not your fists. Me and Spincut at least own this TV, what are you doing here?

First of all I was giving others advice what to do, not you. A little vain are ya? I know from reading through your posts you're a fanboy. You don't have much to offer than giving out name calling. Me a "Troll" I believe you should look at yourself. Maybe look at the word "help" and see if that fits you?

You're right I obviously prefer plasma if that makes me a fanboy, however I'm not a troll. If I was a troll i'd post comments on threads in TVs I didn't own without knowing what the heck I'm talking about, sound familiar? You're petty personal attacks are just lame, unless you go out and buy a PZ85U or have anything helpful to say go take a walk

^^^
You just don't get it. If I was mis-representing this issue others would be all over me like the others have been discredited here from you fanboys (you and spincut).

Other than your bias views ask yourself this question? Why hasn't Ken Ross or D-nice or other plasma gurus told me I don't know what I'm talking about? Don't you think they read this thread?

Reason is this problem has been around for many years and the gurus know it. Theres been many names labled to it and its the same old problem. Brightness fluctuates its as simple as this. Its very annoying and why I went LCD. My first choice was plasma but this was too much for me. I couldn't force myself to try plasma again.

I know you won't understand that others come here for answers to there issues but just try a little to understand that there are issues that have been around with many models with this issue not just yours.

So if this is such a problem with plasmas why do people own them. Millions and millions of sets that fluctuate brightness. I smell a class action suite. I think this is absurd. Why did I not notice it for 2.5yrs.


I am picking up my 50pz850u in about an hour!!!!!!

The reason they are not commenting is probably because they know these are isolated faults and not commonplace with plasma, therefore they are ignoring you just as everyone else should.

Reason you didn't see it is because they all don't do it. But from my experience heres why more than you think do it.

I bought a Panasonic 50" Onyx 3 years ago. It was there best plasma at the time and had a 8k msrp. It was a two piece plasma the display and what they called an entetainment center or box. Pioneer were two piece plasmas also at the time. I bought mine at Ultimate Electronics and I bought knowing I couldn't take it back to them if I had a problem. They were going out of business in my state.

Well I noticed the brightness fluctuation on the first day and had a case number by that afternoon. The service center I took it to was also sold Panasonic plasmas showroom. The Onyx was only sold by a few retailers and was exclusive plasma to very few retailers. Well I found DVD's that showed the issue and the best one was a movie called "Hitler's Secretary". They had 7 or so plasmas hooked up to their DVD player and the brightness fluctuated on 2 or 3 of the 7 but not all of them. They had the same model as mine that didn't show fluctuation. But with my box hooked to there display it did. Many other Panasonic models also did it, other than the Onyx.

When the Panasonic field engineer suggested to replace my box they did and still fluctuated on both displays. I asked the showroom if I could have their box but said no. Panasonic field rep flew in and had a two hour meeting about this with my service center. They said I could have my money back or another TV. Took the money end of story.

Been reading about this issue here in the plasma forum ever since with all sorts of different names. Like I said I don't care what folks buy just have empathy for others.

Same old story with "mine doesn't do it".

Heres a thread from 2004 so many names for this:

http://archive2.avsforum.com/avs-vb/...d.php?t=473893

Well, "mine doesnt do it" so Im unsubbing from this thread that will slowly become a waste of bandwidth.

eh why do i keep getting lumped in and called a fanboy? what the heck did i do? all i did was make a pointed south park reference.....

Same here elway mine does not do it either, I guess we are the lucky ones. I do feel bad for the people that are having the issue though. I wish them luck in finding a solution.

This was pure 100% sarcasm. Why would I mean something like that, then, 2 lines latter, say I was going to pick up ANOTHER Plasma. Come on guys. I was referring to the post saying that this is a problem with plasmas and not isolated sets, like mine (old one). The new 50pz850u is hott!! Awesome, absolutely awesome, television. Great features and PQ

Call me a "fanboy" if you want, but for someone who watches a television with pixelization, motion blur and oversaturated color to come in here and pretend that they "feel your pain" over a handfull of sets that have a QC issue, rather than a technological flaw like LCD's, is quite funny.

I thought my set didn't have this "problem" until just now, seeing it in The Matrix Reloaded. If anyone else wants to check it out, it was in Chapter 2, at 7:58. Look at the wall in the background.

That said, I haven't seen it since so it must take some pretty specific conditions to make it happen and I'm not bothered enough to complain.

I have noticed a consistant flicker on my 50pz80u. With Time Warner digital cable, when you go into the program guide and press the "browse by" menu (Press the A button on remote). As the scenes change on what is playing in the top right, the overall menu will get lighter and darker. This only happens if the cable box is hooked up with component or HDMI, if it is hooked up with coax it doesn't seem to happen. I'm interested to see if this happens for anyone else (if anyone has Time Warner).

What video mode are you using when you get these effects?
Cinema mode is supposed to reduce the black level shift issue compared to standard/vivid/custom modes. So try cinema mode and adjust the picture/brightness/color/tint settings properly and then compare please.