The Official Pioneer 9G Elite KURO Owner's Discussion Thread - Page 471

There was a poll here sometime back which as far as I remember stated atleast 75% of us had no dead/stuck pixels. My sincerest apologies Dave!

[quote=Fanaticalism;16072686]

why not standard for cable

I've got the MX-980 and I love it. Tried a Harmony at a friends house but still like the MX-980 much better. It's got RF capability as well as IR and is designed mostly for custom instllations so their website offers little information regarding it's capabilities. It's probably not for the do it yourself crowd but if you don't like spreadsheets, and constantly re-doing the remote, I'd recommend it...pricy but excellent.

Hi, hd_axel:

Here is a post that summarizes some of the mounts recommended by the folks here: recommended mounts for Pioneer 151

I would concur with texasveteran and hd_newbie--I went with the Sanus VMDD26 for my 151--pricey, but a great design and built to last--really important in an articulating mount. Max extension is 25.76 inches, and can fold up 3.5 inches to the wall. Can be adjusted in position around nearly every axis you can think of. More importantly, the mount is constructed so you have about 8 inches of horizontal positioning adjustment--important if your studs don't perfectly frame the position where you want the television to be. Solid as a rock, and can be mounted without ever laying the television horizontal. Because of it's heavy duty construction (ithe part that is attached to the television is over 65 pounds), mounting is definately a 2 person job (unless you're Gov. Arnold ).

One potential weakness is the quality of the supplied lag screws. There have been a few reports of them shearing off when they are tightened into the stud (althoug it's not clear how often this happens). Therefore, I replaced them with 5/8 inch X 3.5 inch stainless steel lag screws (at Ace Hardware or Amazon) with stainless steel washers. Also, it is suggested to make sure the proper sized pilot holes are drilled prior to putting the bolts in.

One other more minor point is that I'm not fond of the cable routing system--you have to push in plastic cable tie holders into predrilled holes and then run your cable ties through them. It works, but it's entirely possible to break those tie holders as you stick them in, and you won't be able to get them out without a hassle. I ended up not using them by choosing my cable lengths carefully and running my cables in wall.

(If anyone is installing one of these, check out this review of the Sanus VMDD2 for some other important tips on installation. The information really helped me.)

The OmniMount ULPT-X would have been my choice had I not wanted the "television floating in space" effect from the articulating arms. It really hugs the television close to the wall, but has a neat kickstand so you can easily reach the wiring behind.

However, the consensus best bang for the buck seems to be the Peerless ST670--recommended by a lot of experienced folks (including Roman). Simple, sturdy, good quality at an attractive price.

Good luck!

I'm still at odds regarding break-in with my new 151, I'm going to have it calibrated in June and my calibrator said not to stress the TV this early. I might run the break-in DVD at normal levels for a while when I'm not watching the TV. My question before I run out of the house with the DVD running is how long does it run before it stops? My BluRay player doesn't have repeat function in it's menu so I wouldn't want it to stop running the slides if I'm not home.

Flyboye: if you run the slides off of a flash drive, you will less likely have to worry about it stopping before you get home. (See message 14221) There have been more reports of DVD's "hanging" during break-in--still not a huge deal, but can make for a rather cringing experience.

Flyboye or you can also just run full screen content as much as possible and not leave on pause That would work as well

Not true. I was running mine off the USB and I'm about 125 hrs in. This morning I got up to discover it stuck on one of the red slides.

The HR20 will upscale to 1080i if you want by listing the resolution of your TV ( 1080i) and have native set to off.

The TV will do the upscaling is you set native to on if you check 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i, and 1080p as ther resolutions your tv accepts.

Joel

[quote=slumpey326;16072409]
I like smooth for Direct TV..
Joel

I stand corrected--had not heard of that happening before--lots more reports of DVD's getting stuck. What do you think happened? Did you have to reset the slide show?

I am a bit bummed to just find out my 151 doesn't do 1080p over component. I thought it did... Not a huge deal, the 1080i component looks good and of course I have the HDMI for the p.

But a few months ago I watched a demo of 1080p over HDMI vs component and the component always looked better. Which may or may not mean anything. With the demo display and other gear. Wanted to test it out here. I thought the demo display was a 151...could it have been a 141? I forget...obviously LOL.

Edit: ah yes, it must have been the 141. Too bad the 151 manual doesn't have anything like the signal compatibility charts like the 141 manual has...would it have been so hard??

No recent display will do 1080p over a component connection due to restrictions imposed by the media owners.


Your display does a very good job de-interlacing 1080i in order to display 1080p.


Not possible without using tricks that wouldn't be available to most of us -- see above.

If you like a softer image then 1080i over component might be more pleasing to you. The reality is that component is an analog connection. That means that all digital sources must be converted from digital to analog before they can be transmitted via component. Then at the display, the signal must be converted from analog back to digital. By definition, that means that there can be errors compounded on errors. Almost all source start out as digital.

Enjoy your great picture quality.

Unless it looks bad, then try something else. Seriously, I haven't found any one mode that is consistently best for all sources.

Hi, again,

This will end up being long. I got a lot to say. Hope it doesn't p**s people off (too much), and thanks to those who actually read it all.

This is a very preliminary set of observations with my first few hours with the 151, 51 BD and URC MX-980 remote (along with the rest of my H/T setup). In time, if I have anything more useful to say, I'll report back. I got the set Wed.

My local store (one of about ten in the D.C. metro area that I've been buying from for decades) delivered and setup on time, as scheduled. Concurrently, the professional installer/programmer, who I've used before and is terrific, was there to help with the setup, and then programmed the remote. (URC strongly recommends that a pro should do the programming. After watching what he did, and clearing my swimming old brain, I concur. Happily I have the $$ for that.)

The set, even before it was turned on, looked just great on my BDI Icon 2-shelf stand in the living room. Very pleased. As compared to the chunky/clunky Sony SXRD 60XBR1 that I was coming from (although it had a very good picture). Also, no external defects. I'm in an apartment, so can't crank up the H/T audio too much. But I'm on the top floor, so at least no one above and a staircase on one of my common walls. The best case, considering.

So far, no stuck/dead pixels that I can see. And no buzzes, even when I'm right next to the set, although, being older, my upper tones are gone. However, I use very expensive (don't ask, you'd be shocked) state-of-the-art hearing aids which restore my upper range to about 8k. Gives me much pleasure back in listening to music and TV and movies. I no longer have to cup my ears to hear, say, low dialog, etc. Are the buzzes higher than 8k? Anyway, moot point for me.

The MX-980 is very cool and beautiful. Way more so than the MX-850 it replaced. All functions work (with one maybe minor exception - I need to explore it further before providing details). Looked at Comcast HDTV, SD and BD and DVD.

Now for the picture itself (for HD, of course. SD is watchable. 'Nough said.) In trying to come up with something unique to describe what I'm seeing, other than agreeing with you all that it's unbelievable, exceptional, breath-taking and all the cliches like "mind-blowing," knocks my socks off," and all the rest, I'll just say it has a combination of "POP" and "WOW" that I'll call "POW." Seriously! And this is for the Comcast HD programming, aside from the even more amazing BBC "Planet Earth" BD series. I thought my SXRD was great. Doesn't hold a candle to this set. I was worried the brightness of the 151 (and plasmas, in general) would be disappointing, after comparing them with the latest LCD's in stores. Not so! Also, reflections are minimal enough to not be a nuisance, even during the day. No windows face the TV.

It generously exceeds my expectations, even though I knew it should. I'm one to believe it when I see it. Don't get as disappointed that way.

Not proficient yet in deciding on which settings to use. Much fiddling ahead. As I mentioned earlier in other posts, I will not be undergoing the "rigorous" break-in period. I will, however, avoid using black bars and stationary logos and such for the initial 100-200 hours. I have, for now, set the TV to "Auto," which switches from HD to what seems like "Full" when, say, a 4/3 commercial comes on. Of course, SD 4/3 programming automatically is switched to that Full(?) mode. However, all the switching to Full takes several seconds to do so, which is a little disconcerting. I'll be mixing up all the various programming choices, and I'll be running the Planet Earth BDs continuously while Im home, but not watching, since these are in full 16/9 mode, with no black bars. Perfect for this situation of casual break-in.

Interestingly, the pro, who has the 111 at home, says he uses the "Performance" mode, which he like very much. Hmmm. I decided to take it down one notch and use the "Standard" mode. Very nice, to say the least. Just to make myself think I know what I'm doing, I lowered the contrast to 38 from 40 and the brightness to +2 from 0 (not that I can see much/any difference). Tried the "less vivid" settings like pure and (can't remember the rest now), but they were so washed out looking as compared to the Standard, that I didn't bother staying with them. I'll be looking into them more in time. I also dabbled in the "Pure Cinema" mode, but don't now remember which sub mode I used, or if I even turned it back off. I'll be giving the set much more attention later today, my first full day with the set (it's very early morning as I write this). And I'll be reading the manual for all the setting data, but really, I'm getting the best info from you all on this site. Fabulous resource. I only hope that as an amateur I can contribute something worthwhile to other plasma newbies.

To them I say, if you have the $$, you really should seriously consider this set, as long as the plasma "issues" (reflections, burn-in) are not a concern. I must fully agree with you all that this is the best picture out there, cetainly that I've ever seen. You think I'm thrilled, or what?!

Regards, Rod

I think you're thrilled! Just take your time playing with the settings, learning what they do, and deciding what you like. You'll have this TV for a long time, so no rush to get it right..... One caveat: don't expect to find any excess of enlightenment in that manual. It's annoyingly and frequently vague.

I've just hooked up my HD-DVR box from Comcast (Motorola DCT 6412 III - hdmi output). Is there anywhere in the 151 menus where I can view the incoming signal resolution? The STB is (supposedly) outputting in 1080i but can be changed to 480i, 480p or 720p. Since there's no cable signal that is natively higher than 720p would it be better to have the STB output 720p so that the 151 doesn't have to de-interlace the 1080i signal before upconverting to 1080p?

What would be the downsides and upsides of having the STB send 720p signals vs 1080i?

On another note...does anyone have a shortcut for having the 151 remote programmed to change the channels on the Cable tuner instead of the 151's tuner (or would that leave me at the mercy of the STB with no way to remotely control the 151's tuner should I need or want to at a later time)

Thanks for the feedback.

Rodaurora,

Your experience seems to mirror mine. I received my 151FD Monday, and it too was setup on time and professionally by the local dealer, probably the same one you use, as I'm in Northern Virginia.

I also hear no real buzzing or other noises coming from my Elite. The two Tivo units I have in my BDI cabinet are making more noise then the TV.

The picture on the 151FD is even better than i expected, with SD played back through my old Tivo using S-video quite acceptable, even pleasant if not very sharp.

Last night my wife and I finally got to settle down together and watch our first Blu-Ray movie, an old Favorite, "The Dirty Dozen". She's been happy enough with the Pioneer so far, although she's only seen SD on it from the old Tivo. She actually said the picture was amazing and gorgeous several times during the film. I too was very impressed. I was too young when this film came out to have seen it in the theater, so I've only seen washed out prints on television over the years. To see all that vibrant color, especially of the uniforms, and all that detail was a real revelation to both my wife and I. This shows that the Blu-Ray format works just fine with an older film.

I too do not plan to use the rigorous break-in procedure. I just figure watching the set with a wide variety of programs and using fullscreen for 4 by 3 sources will avoid any pitfalls.

I have been alternating between "pure mode" and "standard mode" depending on the programming. I haven't started to fiddle with any other picture settings yet.

I too am thrilled with the Elite 151FD, and even more so now that my wife has said the picture on the set with a Blu-Ray is "beautimous".

I ordered the Sanus VMPL3. It's very good quality and comes with a flat mount bracket and a tilting bracket. It has everything you should need, although in my case I shimmed the mount out 3/4", so I needed longer lag bolts. It has plenty of adjustment, both vertically and horizontally, but unfortunately the vertical can't really be adjusted while the tv is hanging, a feature some of their smaller mounts have.

Hi, Heatwave,

I thought that a majority of the channels transmitted in 1080i, but I think ABC, Fox and ESPN were in 720p. Are you saying that regardless of the incoming to the cable facility, the cable always retransmits in 720p? If I remember correctly in my (now) old set, the Sony 60" SXRD, I saw 1080i on screen for those channels originally broadcasting in that mode. I forget whether I saw 720p on screen. Really, mostly paid little attention to what was being transmitted, as I was watching HD programming.

Am I mixing up what you're saying?

Regards, Rod

Hey, I'll go with "beautimous."

No doubt, it's the same high-end local dealer I've been using. (I don't know why I'm so fussy about not naming them, but who knows with the - um - diligent regulation on this forum. If only the banking and Wall Street industrys were so properly regulated.) They're great, courteous, professional, a pleasure to deal with and, considering the economy and the big box competition (minus one!), will strive to meet your reasonable pricing expectations.

Regards, Rod

I will be getting a 111fd next week.
Where do I get this break in DVD I keep reading about?

rodaurora
"will not be undergoing the "rigorous" break-in period. I will, however, avoid using black bars and stationary logos and such for the initial 100-200 hours. I have, for now, set the TV to "Auto," which switches from HD to what seems like "Full" when, say, a 4/3 commercial comes on. Of course, SD 4/3 programming automatically is switched to that Full(?) mode. However, all the switching to Full takes several seconds to do so, which is a little disconcerting. I'll be mixing up all the various programming choices, and I'll be running the Planet Earth BDs continuously while Im home, but not watching, since these are in full 16/9 mode, with no black bars. Perfect for this situation of casual break-in."

swg255,
I too do not plan to use the rigorous break-in procedure. I just figure watching the set with a wide variety of programs and using fullscreen for 4 by 3 sources will avoid any pitfalls.



Sorry I still have not figured out how to use multiple quote so I am just cut and paste other comments here.

I have my 151 for a week now and I thought this tv is too big for my basement and I am sitting about 9' from the tv. Everytime we get a chance to watch this tv, I feel like we are in a movie theater with this tv and picture quality. I too just put on Home Theater Discovery channel and let it runs all day in Full/sometimes Wide1 mode. I also run the video patern from time to time. I am curious to why alot of people do not recommend running the "Video Patern" every time someone mentioned breakin, IR, or dead pixel? I know progprog mentioned from time to time but if running "Video Patern" help why I do not see alot of other people talk about this. Thanks!

I have had my 111 for about 6 weeks now, but only started watching TV on it for the last 2 weeks. Unlike most here, when I first powered it on and watched a program on it, I was not overly impressed and thought it looked OK. But lately, I have been very impressed and taken back how nice the picture is. Almost like it's getting better over time.(be it only 2 weeks so far). I went through the break-in and have used D-nice's settings with pure mode, but I really like using the color sensor with Optimum mode.

Last night the kids were watching Garfield and my wife and I were overly impressed how well and vibrant the colors looked. Ok, here is the catch. This was only in SD. I could only imagine how much better the picture will be once I watch blu-Ray and HD channels, and once it is calibrated. The 111 replaced a great Sony Wega 40" XBR and I have no regrets. Just thought I share this because before I purchased this I was going crazy with all the research and LCD vs Plasma choices. I was especially concerned about basic everyday TV watching as we still watch a lot of SD content. By the way, I have FIOS so I'm not sure if that is a major factor with my experience above.

-David

My new 151FD. Almost 150hrs break-in/usage. Awesome TV! I came from a Sony 36" Wega.

I used the Peerless and am very happy with it. It is very flat to the wall so it takes up a minimum amount of space. I could not get the mount to span three studs because of where I was mounting the TV. So, to add some beef, I replaced the screws that were supplied with 5/8", 3 1/2" lag bolts and mounted it into two studs. Great mount for a great price.

Rotgut,

What stand is that? It looks nice.

Just received my 111fd a few days ago and upon inspecting the first day, didn't notice any stuck or dead pixels. Today, noticed on a grey backround what appeared to be one stuck red pixel. As I looked really close at it, it seems to be two pixels side by side. One red and one either black or blue. (hard to tell, looks like black with a blueish tint) Anyways, I ran my JScreenfix dvd and did a frame by frame. Strangely, The two pixels only appeared when screen was yellow, green, white, and grey, or light blue. It completely and perfectly vanished and blended into red screens, blue, black, pink, and purple as if they were perfect, functioning pixels. Just strange that If they were typical stuck pixels, they should remain their "stuck" colors but they manage to only display certain ones. Anyone ever seen this?

Heatwave:

I suspect that the video processor in your 151 is superior to that of your DVR.

Therefore, I would suggest having the DVR pass along the cable signal in it's "native" format (i.e. not processed by your DVR). In my particular DVR, that was accomplished in one of the menus, basically selecting all of the resolution choices, thus allowing the DVR to give the 151 the programs in whatever resolution it comes at over HDMI.

The 151 then converts whatever it gets to 1080p--this is indicated when I change channels, the 151 flashes what resolution the incoming signal is.

When my BDP-83 shows up next week (hopefully), I will either let it, my AVR, or 151 process the native signal--depending on what looks best.

Does that make sense?

The 151 then converts whatever it gets to 1080p--this is indicated when I change channels, the 151 flashes what resolution the incoming signal is.

Are you sure about that? I know my 151 seems to convert HD Cable to 1080i not 1080p. Is it possible to get 1080p out of my Comcast DVR?