Official Panasonic GT30 Series Discussion Thread [No Price Talk] - Page 136

A newbie here! So, I've had my 50GT30 for about 6 months now. It has an April 2011 build date. When I got the set, I ran the break-in slides for 100+ hours but did not apply D-Nice's settings as I was wary of adjusting anything in the SM. I also have not noticed any discernable Fbr issues (if they are there, I do not notice them). As such, I have the original A-Board and have not had a Panny tech come out to install the Fbr fix via SD card. I also haven't noticed any green blobs, etc.

My firmware version is 2.010.

My QUESTIONS are:

(1) Should I still see if a Panny tech can come out with the Fbr fix via SD card (would prefer not to replace the A-Board if not needed)?

(2) Should I apply the 2.1 Luminance patch?

(3) Should I upgrade to firmware version 2.220?

(4) If YES to more than one, in what order should I go about the updates???


Please advise.

Many thanks!! This forum is a great source of information and knowledge...

[quote=MMTEC;22091594]A newbie here! So, I've had my 50GT30 for about 6 months now. It has an April 2011 build date. When I got the set, I ran the break-in slides for 100+ hours but did not apply D-Nice's settings as I was wary of adjusting anything in the SM. I also have not noticed any discernable Fbr issues (if they are there, I do not notice them). As such, I have the original A-Board and have not had a Panny tech come out to install the Fbr fix via SD card. I also haven't noticed any green blobs, etc.

My firmware version is 2.010.

My QUESTIONS are:

(1) Should I still see if a Panny tech can come out with the Fbr fix via SD card (would prefer not to replace the A-Board if not needed)?

(2) Should I apply the 2.1 Luminance patch?

(3) Should I upgrade to firmware version 2.220?

(4) If YES to more than one, in what order should I go about the updates???


Please advise.

Many thanks!! This forum is a great source of information and knowledge...[/QUOTE

Yes! Replace your A-board before your warranty is up.Then apply the 2.1 patch via sd/usb and then go ahead with 2.220 update...

Better to be safe then sorry in regards to waiting for the last second to replace the a-board.

[quote=PeterLewis;22091802]

Thanks, Peter! So, even though I do not notice any issues I should still ask Panasonic for a replacement? Will they do that if they ask if I have any issues with my current one and I say "No"? What's the best way to go about this? Please advise and thanks again for your help!

MMTEC...You have to be persistant if they give you the run around.This was a wide spread issue for 2011 panasonics with march -july builds and they are more then aware of the situation.

Even if you see no issues,you do not want to get snake bit later on once your warranty is up.Then it will cost you out of pocket to get fix.

Look for test samples that show FBR to verify....Look through this thread or google for what clips reveal fbr.

@MMTEC I would go into the service menu and check if you have the patch already installed. Not sure about your's but my June build had the patch already instaled. Here's a link to a post that can help

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showp...postcount=3775

I live in San Francisco and have Comcast. using a Motorola DCT 3412 I DVR, which I would guess we've had for 3 or so years. I bought a Panasonic 50" GT30 last year, and it has never looked decent on broadcast TV... even the HDTV channels look like they could be a little crisper. Could the box I'm using part of the problem? I've tried some of the various settings people have posted and it hasn't helped as much as I hoped. I looked at the new ST50 in BB and it definitely was a clearer picture :-(.

Hi! I have same issue with my p46g30e plazma. As far as I know this issue was not present in G20 - it was introduced in GT20 and later models... Probably they "tweaked things" to prevent other problems with 3D and this is some kind of trade-off. I am very disappointed too - I've bought plasma because of low input lag and high motion resolution but as you said - this "double image effect" is actually worse than LCD's low motion resolution (~300).

Ever since I bought this Panasonic, I've had video game lag that I can't get rid of. First with a PS2, and now with a PS3 as well. I've run the PS3 through a Denon 3311ci reciever to the TV, and tried bypassing the reciever and going directly to the TV, but there's still lag - between the time I hit a button on the controller and the movement occurs on the TV. I thought maybe the PS2 was lagging because I had to input it through the Denon's S-video input, then it went to HDMI from the reciever to the TV, but the PS3 is lagging just as much through an all HDMI connection, from PS3 to reciever and reciever to TV. This is frustrating the hell out of me, I've done hours of searching online and through my TV , PS3 and reciever owner's manuals and on screen menu's, but I haven't been able to eliminate this lag. It has to be caused by the TV because when I had the Denon reciever, the PS2 and my old conventional tube/non-HD TV, there was zero lag. It only showed up when I changed TV's.

So, has anyone been able to play a PS3 on a TC-P50GT30 and have no lag? I can't be the only one, heh.

i have the 55 Gt30 which i got last Jan (w/c has the new board and last firmware). i am using dish network with HD and i would say, it looks stunning (well not as good as compared to Bluray)
but definitly good picture. so my take at your situation is the Motorola unit. have you compared the PQ against a DVD SD pq? it should not be too far off

It's definitely not an issue with TV and not really with the cable box (it could be partially a cable box problem). Comcast and all other cable companies for that matter are known for over-compressing the lights out of HD and SD programming to save on bandwidth.

 

One and easy way to verify if the culprit is your cable box is to plug RF coax cable directly into the TV and scan clear cable channels. If direct connection has a better video quality than through the cable box then the problem is definitely the box or more accurately the software that Comcast uses on the box. I have a 55" GT30 and use a direct connection and my clear QAM channels look quite good.

 

If you still prefer to stick with the old DCT-3412 then this is what you can do. Without a long explanation about the specifics, I assume that you are using a decent HDMI cable from the box to a TV set. On your cable box set your HDMI resolution to 720p or 1080i (unfortunately DCT-3412 does not have a native mode pass-through for HDMI). If that does not make it look better then make a call to Comcast and ask them to replace the box for a newer Motorola DCX series set-top box.

 

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Just picked up a 65GT30 (excited - was eyeing this for the last 3 months) and spent almost half a day on this forum trying to ensure I am taking the correct steps to break in and calibrate for day to day use.

Since there are so many posts I would like to recap what steps I need to take to setup the tv correctly to avoid potential burn-in.

Run 100 hr break-in
1) Download files from link - Evangelo's USB/SD Card files
2) Transfer break-in files to SD card
3) Pop in SD card to TV and it should automatically get picked up and start the break-in

Post 100 hr break-in
1) Download FW 2.1 (http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/tv/download/pro/down_pro.html)
2) Install FW 2.1 via SD card (pop in TV and it should automatically come up with prompt to update)
3) Install FW 2.2 via TV network

Calibration
1) Apply Dave_O Mid Brightness or Low Brightness settings

Hopefully I have captured this correctly, please confirm if I am on the right path. Will correct if I have misstated anything to ensure others benefit from this post as I am sure they probably have the same questions as I did.

rattler31 . . .

I see you posted this in the "Settings" thread . . . you're missing the correct settings for the "slideshow" . . . please read my detailed reply here:
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1340522/the-official-panasonic-gt30-settings-thread/1040_40#post_22201988

I purchased a P65GT30 last July and had the pleasure of having it ISF calibrated by Gregg Loewen. The picture has been excellent and I can confirm all of recommendations that had brought me to him. Unfortunately, it wasn't until recently that I began to notice FBR. Last week, I received approval from Panasonic that they will be scheduling service (under warranty) with Pinnacle Service Solutions Group out of Haverhill, MA. Not wanting to lose my ISF calibration, I called the rep at Pinnacle to see if they could repair via the issue via SD card instead of doing the A-board swap. They claimed this was out of their hands and an A-board was on the way. I asked if I could email the rep and see if he could get with Panasonic to see if we could do the alternate SD card repair. I sent the email below but I'm not very hopeful. Will I need to get the TV re-ISF'd if the A-board is replaced? Should I get with Panasonic directly to push for the SD card method?





Here is the email:
"Hi,
We had spoke earlier regarding a repair for fluctuating brightness on my Panasonic Plasma. I have researched this issue with my TV fairly thoroughly as it is a very common problem on the Panasonic plasmas. From my understanding there are 2 confirmed fixes for the fluctuating brightness:

1)Replace "A board" (very common)
2)Update TV via SD card (newer but less common fix performed in the field)

I paid $400+ to have this TV professionally ISF calibrated last year and the A board replacement will nullify these customizations. I would like for Pinnacle to check with Panasonic and see if we can push for the SD card method of repair. This will save me from having to have a new ISF calibration done on the television and will also prevent me from having to perform the difficult task of un-wall mounting the TV. If you or your technician could check with Panasonic (I will place another call to them as well), it would mean a lot to me. I have included a link below to the most comprehensive discussion of this repair that I could find. Thanks for your help,

Jeff

Correct me if I'm wrong, but can't you go into the service menu and write down the customized settings and then reenter them after the A-board is replaced?

I've heard evidence to the contrary but I'm not sure, Jason. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding this, but I've heard that each indiviual A-board has it's own baseline, so any settings used to calibrate using a different A-board will be irrelevant.

If you don't want to waste your 400+dollars, you'll need to save the ISF calibration/TV SERVICE MENU settings from your old A-board to a FAT32 formatted SD card yourself!
Then after de A-board swap, reload the those settings and your ISF calibration will remain!
This methode works the same with all 2011 models with SD card slots!

---

Originally Posted by iBrad View Post
For ppl who wants to backup the original tv settings without entering servicemenu, i.e. after user servicemenu calibration or A-board swap.
Here's the offical methode from the Model No. TC-P42S30 service-manual (works with other 2011 models too):

Data Copy by SD Card
---
Purpose
(a) Board replacement (Copy the data when exchanging A-board):
When exchanging A-board, the data in original A-board can be copied to SD card and then copy to new A-board.
---
Preparation
Make pwd file as startup file for (a) in a empty SD card.
1. Insert a empty SD card to your PC.
2. Right-click a blank area in a SD card window, point to New, and then click text document. A new file is created by default
(New Text Document.txt).
3. Right-click the new text document that you just created and select rename, and then change the name and extension of the
file to the following file name for (a) and press ENTER.
File name:
(a) For Board replacement : boardreplace.pwd
Note:
Please make only one file to prevent the operation error.
No any other file should not be in SD card.

---
Data copy from TV set to SD Card
1. Turn on the TV set.
2. Insert SD card with a startup file (pwd file) to SD slot.
On-screen Display will be appeared according to the startup file automatically.
3. Input a following password for (a) by using remote control.
(a) For Board replacement : 2770
Data will be copied from TV set to SD card.
It takes around 2 to 6 minutes maximum for copying.
4. After the completion of copying to SD card, remove SD card from TV set.
5. Turn off the TV set.
Note:
Following new folder will be created in SD card for data from TV set.
(a) For Board replacement : user_setup
-Backup the file on your PC.

---
Data copy from SD Card to TV set
1. Turn on the TV set.
2. Insert SD card with Data to SD slot.
On-screen Display will be appeared according to the Data folder automatically.
3. Input a following password for (a) by using remote control.
(a) For Board replacement : 2771
Data will be copied from SD card to TV set.
4. After the completion of copying to SD card, remove SD card from TV set.
(a) For Board replacement : Data will be deleted after copying (Limited one copy). -so backup file on your PC first.
5. Turn off the TV set.
Note:
1. Depending on the failure of boards, function of Data copy for board replacement does not work.
2. This function can be effective among the same model numbers.

I tested it, it works perfectly!

Disclaimer: Do this at your Own Risk, I'm no responsible for any consequences!

---

(Panasonic) Service Technicians won't do this for you because the ignorance!
Poster Wulfsdale has done it successfully too.
see your own link to other forum.

All A-boards will come with the same standard factory settings, supposed they are not re-used and the custom settings resetted to factory.
A-board is just a digital computer control/settings/memory board that controls/drives the various voltages to the plasma panel.
The reason why each plasma panel needs individual settings/calibrations is because of the variable tolerance (analog) nature of the materials: plasma, gasses, fosfor, color filters etc.

Due the variables, the production of Plasma panels can't be 100% the same, so to get them giving the same (x% tolerance) performance, they need those individual calibration.
And with the standard factory calibration they all will give just the standard picture within the tolerance of the yield.

That's why you let it calibrated to ISF standard of the individual panel to get the best out of it.

This is a stupid question...Does Game Mode have or use any special settings than the other mode? Ive always used THX and Custom (using Dave_O's settings). I had to look up something off the Panny site and saw "Game Mode" and they made it sound something special for gamers. I fogot this was even there.

anyone else having youtube audio playback issues? my gt30 ran a uopdate and then all of the sudden i get a message on my youtube app that this device may experience audio issues during play back, anyone have any idea what this is all about?
also why does my netflix app layout suck when compared to my VT50 or even my cheesy bluray player..shouldn;t all of the panny netflix apps be the same? (all my stuff is panny)

The technician came out today and replaced my faulty A-board (I had to de-wall mount the TV in advance... what a bitch!). He had said he was familiar with the SD card method, but was only authorized by Panasonic to swap the board which he claimed had a new processor and was loaded with the latest software. I could't get the .pwd/sdcard method of backing up the service menu settings to work so I wrote down and took pictures of each of the service menu screens. With the new A board, everything was reset, but they were pretty easy to go back in and change. I had one particular Fbr torture test in mind (Breaking Bad, Season 4, disc 1, episode 2 @ 3:00-5:00 mark). After the A-board swap there is ZERO Fbr here. Crossing my fingers but for the moment I am pretty ecstatic!

Anyone ever have this happen? The TV auto-detected and went into 3D mode, but the picture was kind of scrambled; the best way I can think of to describe it is to say it looked kind of like the very old cable boxes that didn't quite have the dial all the way on the channel. I stopped the 3D source, but it remained scrambled and then the TV shut off. I couldn't turn it back on and had to unplug it to get it to come back on. I tried the 3D source again and it worked fine.

Hello,

I've had my 50GT30 for a while now and lately I've been noticing a problem. When the screen transitions from complete black/mostly black to a lighter color it exhibits a diagonal grayish rain affect. Is this normal? I'm noticing it more and more lately.

Also, my old Harmony remote would not change the input to ANT/Cable. I got a new Harmony and results are the same? Do I need to program the remote to input a channel number if I want to change input to ANT/Cable?

Hi, i've a VT20 (42") and i need another one plasma for another room and i'm interested in p42gt30,I'd like tu buy a 42 plasma with the same video quality of vt20, here in Italy the price is very good (620 euro) and if I'll buy it ..will start confrontation with my vt20 in my home, which differences between the two models ? It's better Vt20 or gt30 for blacks, colours and definition ? thanks.

VT20 can probably be calibrated a little better with its controls, but the GT30 has better blacks that remain lower up to this point, at least from my reading. Its a nice display. THX mode looks good out of the box.

Hey all

Just picked up a 60GT30 that is about 8 months old and is flawless (and for under $700!!!!!!!) . The unit has not had any a board replacement. What do i need to check first. The picture via ps3 blu ray is quite stunning. Ive been out of the plasma game for a bit so help is appreciated

This is for my daughter so it wont need critical viewing but if there is updates to be done and boards swapped out I would like to have it done

thanks all

First check the build date on the back and if its a July 2011 or earlier build it will need the a-board swapped or an sd update for fluctuating brightness.

If its a August 2011 or later build, it comes with the updated a-board all ready installed from the factory.

Second (optional) there is a 2.1 color luminance patch thats supposed to help the white balance colors in custom mode.Just search this thread and there is a link for the 2.1 update patch, after you install the patch then just update to the lastest firmware 2.220.

Third check out the GT30 settings thread and try entering some of the posted settings to see if you like any or get the set calibrated by a pro (optional) or just get a calibration disc and tweak away...

Fourth.....sit back and enjoy,its a great set and congrats...

wow great reply.

I am going to start looking at it.

Here is a pic from the firmware page.

Build date is May 2011

Hi
I've had the 65"GT30 for about 3 months. Waited for about 150 hours before playing any video games on the set. Made the "mistake" of playing Madden 13, and now I'm dealing with some serious IR which I think may be permanent burn in. First, I'm not a plasma newbie. I've owned my other plasma for about 8 years and have had no issues. I'd say that I played Madden for a combine 12-15 hours over a 3 week period (it was new, I was into it). Now, I can't seem to shake the EA SPORTS logo in the upper right. Thankfully, it's out of normal line of sight, but horrendously aggravating. I've run a series of tools to try and rid it, and while it's not as bad as it was when it first happended (about 3 weeks ago), it's very noticiable during light colored sequences. I'd say I've probably run a combo of static (both black and white and colored) and white screens with that area blacked out to try and "even things out." Has anyone else had serious IR that persists this long with this set? At this point, I fear it's permanent and that I'll just have to learn to live with it. Hoping that it continues to fade over time. Last question: Is an all-white screen the best method to try and blot this out? Any and all suggestions would be helpful. I know this is mostly my fault. I didn't switch out of THX mode which meant that the pixel orbiter wasn't on, didn't realize that that feature didn't exist in that mode. Thanks, all!

Hopefully Gregg Loewen is calibrating mine in the next 30-45 days.

Folks, I have an issue with GT30 and Viera TV remote control apps, both Android and iOS versions. It used work just fine on my Android phone or my iPod Touch until the TV firmware was upgraded to 2.220. After that none of the mobile device, neither Android nor iOS, running the latest versions of their respective Viera remote control apps can discover the TV.

 

The TV is connected to wireless home broadband router via Cat5e and phone/tablet/iPod are connected via wireless to the same network.

 

The funny thing that I downloaded another Android app for the phone called "Panasonic TV Media" from Google Play Store and it finds my Viera GT30 without any issues but the official Panasonic Viera Remote Control App is unable to discover the TV. And that makes me believe that TV is OK but it's the application last updated to version 2.11 on September 10, 2012 that has issues. 

 

Can someone try to verify whether it's working or not on their GT30? Thanks in advance.