2010 Panasonic Plasma TV's Only
Note: I cannot help you if you do not follow directions. Just entering the new service menu contrast setting is not the whole fix. I have given you a mid-point to start with. So follow the directions carefully.
Details you should know about your 2010 Panasonic Plasma TV.
Without any indication to the user, all 2010 models have built-in Dynamic Contrast. Unlike most TVs there is no user controls to turn the function off.
Why???
It seems that in order to be competitive and produce Energy Star rated plasma devices, some magic must be done with power mode to allow for better energy conservation. This magic of sorts is the power mode. Low power for deep blacks and good contrast levels. Normal power for bright viewing locations and high contrast levels.
All one can hope for is that next years models will have the ability to disable the inheirent dynamic contrast within normal power mode, or have a newer plasma panel to deliver the dynamic range without floating black levels.
What can be done to eliminate floating blacks?
You can calibrate with a gray scale ramp pattern with a lower contrast and brightness settings. Though there is nothing to keep anyone from changing the levels unless you lock the menu. Hotel mode anyone???
You may note my values (Lower on this page) have brightness around 50 - 52 on my picture modes. I can go higher without causing any ill effects with floating blacks. But for my viewing I like the brightness level as what I have listed.
Now for contrast... in my extensive testing, I noticed contrast will trigger when the tv will switch into normal power mode.
Even if you do not see any change with the black level at a setting of 65 on the contrast, it may take a very bright scene with a few deep blacks to notice.
It may be a trivial subject at that point, but for most who want the best the TV can deliver without worries about black levels shifting. You may opt on my tweak of the service menu default contrast setting.
What does this tweak do??
Here is the scale for user adjustments:
0 ------ 50 ------100
Lets say you find that once you get to 60 floating blacks become noticable.
By lowering the default contrast level in the service menu, we'll moving the maximum usable contrast in low power mode further up the scale.
Usable contrast of 50 will now be at 100 on the scale.
There will be two benefits maybe more.
One, contrast is restrained within the low power range.
Two, you will have doubled the contrast adjustabity for a more exact level of detail.
Any drawbacks???
Two, CATS may not function properly and needs to be disabled on all picture modes and inputs used.
The second is minor, on my TV... Warm, Normal, and Cool have shifted settings. Normal gives a Warm picture, Warm is Cool, and Cool is normal. Go figure why that happens, its F'n magic to me.
Now what should I expect when I go into the service menu???
When in the service menu, all picture settings used are factory default for service menu only.
Vivid, high brightness and contrast levels and so on.
The screen will be bright!
Once you have changed the value to the default contrast, the screen may change brighter or lower. This is only a service menu visual issue. Once you power off the tv for 10 seconds and power it back on, you should notice the screen should be not as bright.
If it is brighter there must be a difference on the settings for your particular model.
I am using what I gathered from testing with my C2 model.
Note: Some have reported 000 as their default. Make sure HDMI is not used during the Service Menu setup. HDMI locks available options. Once you make the changes and things are set, then you can use HDMI.
Please connect component cable when using 720 or 1080 HD connection. The Service Menu is locked when HDMI is used. Once the setting is done to both SD and HD, you can connect HDMI.
Example:
Lets say FE as your default use any number 70 down to 6C (6C is mine) as your new setting. Holding down the down volume button will speed up the change.
Setting the default Contrast:
The Default Contrast Setting is the first option after pressing 1 at the service menu. It will be predefined in a two or three digit HEX code.
Write down the number and keep it as reference.
Here is some values to help you decide what number to change to.
Any value F0 to FF use 70
Any value 260 to 275 use 135
Any other value just divide by 2
Just use the Hex button in windows calculator, type in the number shown for editing and divide it by 2. Plug in the value using the down volume button, and power off.
Please take note if your TV counts in decimal or HEX... If you should see F through A during count down to make your change. Your in HEX, do not put a decimal number in or visa versa. [/color][/b]
Power off the tv for 10 seconds.
Once you power on the TV adjust brightness to 45 and contrast to 50.
This is a starting point for you to calibrate brightness and contrast.
Use Grayscale ramp bars to dial in brightness first. Slowly move the brightness up until you see all the bars are visable.
Move the contrast up as far as you want, your black level should not change. If you see black become grey take note how far you went up the scale. If it was 90, then you will need to lower the default contrast again. This time you will lower the value you entered by 15%. You will not miss the 5% and it will be a good buffer in the long run.
Once you have completed all the brightness and contrast settings for each picture mode.
You can run the THX optimizer or Pluge test pattern to make sure things are perfect.
Originally after burn in with my new un-tweaked TV, I used gray scale ramps pattern to adjust brightness and contrast. I was able to determine that contrast was the trigger to black levels shifting. I had dialed in my brightness initialy to have both the two last bars the same brightness or black level. Once I set the contrast above 60... bam my brightness jumped! WHOA!!!!
Leaving room for the contrast ajustment to have whiter than white seems to have cured the floating blacks.
Oh one thing... I am impressed that the 450.00 Panasonic display has wonderful blacks and bright whites to match my 61" DLP at 1/3 the cost! Oh the picture is wonderful too... Just have no good camera to take a side by side image comparison.
Here is my settings after I lowered the default Contrast in the Service Menu.
Mode: Cinema, Custom, Vivid, Standard
Contrast: 59, 54, 49, 73
Brightness: 54, 52, 52, 52
Color: 52, 42, 52, 52
Tint: +4,+5,+4, 0
Color temp: All are set to Normal... I think lowering the initial contrast level offset the temprature information. The names may not correspond to the actual temp, though each setting is there and distiguishable.
Some other models may not be affected or maybe similar with the mixup in naming modes.
I setup my C2 next to my DLP both on Cinema and compaired picture.
The C2 is darker and will lighten up with time, most all colors were near identical just the C2 seemed saturated and sharp around object from the darkness of blacks.
Note: I cannot help you if you do not follow directions. Just entering the new service menu contrast setting is not the whole fix. I have given you a mid-point to start with. So follow the directions carefully.
Details you should know about your 2010 Panasonic Plasma TV.
Without any indication to the user, all 2010 models have built-in Dynamic Contrast. Unlike most TVs there is no user controls to turn the function off.
Why???
It seems that in order to be competitive and produce Energy Star rated plasma devices, some magic must be done with power mode to allow for better energy conservation. This magic of sorts is the power mode. Low power for deep blacks and good contrast levels. Normal power for bright viewing locations and high contrast levels.
All one can hope for is that next years models will have the ability to disable the inheirent dynamic contrast within normal power mode, or have a newer plasma panel to deliver the dynamic range without floating black levels.
What can be done to eliminate floating blacks?
You can calibrate with a gray scale ramp pattern with a lower contrast and brightness settings. Though there is nothing to keep anyone from changing the levels unless you lock the menu. Hotel mode anyone???
You may note my values (Lower on this page) have brightness around 50 - 52 on my picture modes. I can go higher without causing any ill effects with floating blacks. But for my viewing I like the brightness level as what I have listed.
Now for contrast... in my extensive testing, I noticed contrast will trigger when the tv will switch into normal power mode.
Even if you do not see any change with the black level at a setting of 65 on the contrast, it may take a very bright scene with a few deep blacks to notice.
It may be a trivial subject at that point, but for most who want the best the TV can deliver without worries about black levels shifting. You may opt on my tweak of the service menu default contrast setting.
What does this tweak do??
Here is the scale for user adjustments:
0 ------ 50 ------100
Lets say you find that once you get to 60 floating blacks become noticable.
By lowering the default contrast level in the service menu, we'll moving the maximum usable contrast in low power mode further up the scale.
Usable contrast of 50 will now be at 100 on the scale.
There will be two benefits maybe more.
One, contrast is restrained within the low power range.
Two, you will have doubled the contrast adjustabity for a more exact level of detail.
Any drawbacks???
Two, CATS may not function properly and needs to be disabled on all picture modes and inputs used.
The second is minor, on my TV... Warm, Normal, and Cool have shifted settings. Normal gives a Warm picture, Warm is Cool, and Cool is normal. Go figure why that happens, its F'n magic to me.
Now what should I expect when I go into the service menu???
When in the service menu, all picture settings used are factory default for service menu only.
Vivid, high brightness and contrast levels and so on.
The screen will be bright!
Once you have changed the value to the default contrast, the screen may change brighter or lower. This is only a service menu visual issue. Once you power off the tv for 10 seconds and power it back on, you should notice the screen should be not as bright.
If it is brighter there must be a difference on the settings for your particular model.
I am using what I gathered from testing with my C2 model.
Note: Some have reported 000 as their default. Make sure HDMI is not used during the Service Menu setup. HDMI locks available options. Once you make the changes and things are set, then you can use HDMI.
Please connect component cable when using 720 or 1080 HD connection. The Service Menu is locked when HDMI is used. Once the setting is done to both SD and HD, you can connect HDMI.
Example:
Lets say FE as your default use any number 70 down to 6C (6C is mine) as your new setting. Holding down the down volume button will speed up the change.
Setting the default Contrast:
The Default Contrast Setting is the first option after pressing 1 at the service menu. It will be predefined in a two or three digit HEX code.
Write down the number and keep it as reference.
Here is some values to help you decide what number to change to.
Any value F0 to FF use 70
Any value 260 to 275 use 135
Any other value just divide by 2
Just use the Hex button in windows calculator, type in the number shown for editing and divide it by 2. Plug in the value using the down volume button, and power off.
Please take note if your TV counts in decimal or HEX... If you should see F through A during count down to make your change. Your in HEX, do not put a decimal number in or visa versa. [/color][/b]
Power off the tv for 10 seconds.
Once you power on the TV adjust brightness to 45 and contrast to 50.
This is a starting point for you to calibrate brightness and contrast.
Use Grayscale ramp bars to dial in brightness first. Slowly move the brightness up until you see all the bars are visable.
Move the contrast up as far as you want, your black level should not change. If you see black become grey take note how far you went up the scale. If it was 90, then you will need to lower the default contrast again. This time you will lower the value you entered by 15%. You will not miss the 5% and it will be a good buffer in the long run.
Once you have completed all the brightness and contrast settings for each picture mode.
You can run the THX optimizer or Pluge test pattern to make sure things are perfect.
Originally after burn in with my new un-tweaked TV, I used gray scale ramps pattern to adjust brightness and contrast. I was able to determine that contrast was the trigger to black levels shifting. I had dialed in my brightness initialy to have both the two last bars the same brightness or black level. Once I set the contrast above 60... bam my brightness jumped! WHOA!!!!
Leaving room for the contrast ajustment to have whiter than white seems to have cured the floating blacks.
Oh one thing... I am impressed that the 450.00 Panasonic display has wonderful blacks and bright whites to match my 61" DLP at 1/3 the cost! Oh the picture is wonderful too... Just have no good camera to take a side by side image comparison.
Here is my settings after I lowered the default Contrast in the Service Menu.
Mode: Cinema, Custom, Vivid, Standard
Contrast: 59, 54, 49, 73
Brightness: 54, 52, 52, 52
Color: 52, 42, 52, 52
Tint: +4,+5,+4, 0
Color temp: All are set to Normal... I think lowering the initial contrast level offset the temprature information. The names may not correspond to the actual temp, though each setting is there and distiguishable.
Some other models may not be affected or maybe similar with the mixup in naming modes.
I setup my C2 next to my DLP both on Cinema and compaired picture.
The C2 is darker and will lighten up with time, most all colors were near identical just the C2 seemed saturated and sharp around object from the darkness of blacks.
But to answer one thing. When I have the sensor lit by an LED the black levels rise and when I switch CATS on and off the brightness of the image itself goes up and down but the black levels remain the same (Stay dark grey).
