Official LG XXPZ950 Owners Thread - Page 14

I'm talking about the posts around this one: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showp...&postcount=252
Where various firmware versions from around the world are reported to fix a severe motion problem at 24p.

Maybe newer sets already have the correct firmware applied by the factory, but since I'm in the US, I was hoping to verify that the f/w update that fixes the motion issue has available for the US PZ950

Drew

The CNET/UK Review is up for the PZ 950/T

http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/tvs/lg-pz9...view-50004760/

I had a look at that post (and others of Posted By fish_dvb). Let me explain you something:

- The FW "Application Model list" is so long because all those models are based on same video-processor chip. LG is doing (everytime) only 1 FW version which works for all the listed models.

- fish_dvb owns a PZ950 E.U. version.

Now, we usually say "24p" (or 1080p/24), and so it seem that there is only one 24p standard, right? But that's not true. Do you know how that stuff works?

Thanks.

From that review:

"This TV is no slouch when it comes to 2D images. It boasts the usual strengths of plasma technology, with fast and fluid motion handling, as well as extremely deep black levels, helped along by LG's impressive 'TruBlack' filter. This not only cuts down on screen glare, but also improves the apparent depth of black levels."

Uh!

Hi Mauri,

Is it me or does it look like the CNET/UK review of the PZ 950 was more positive than Mark Hodgkinson's/AVFORUM review of the set? I tend to side with the cnet uk version...I'm just sayin'.

[quote="derod68"]

Hi Mauri,

Is it me or does it look like the CNET/UK review of the PZ 950 was more positive than Mark Hodgkinson's/AVFORUM review of the set? I tend to side with the cnet uk version...I'm just sayin'.

Sorry if I posted same message twice. I'm such a boob at this forum thing.

No doubt the LV550 looks like a nice set. However, I would choose the plasma over the LCD just for the motion blur alone. If you want fluid movement across your screen while watching Yoda kickin -a, I would certainly go for the LG, but the Pz950... Nothing against the 750 (trust me I had one) but the 950 will give u a better picture and experience for slightly more. Also 3D is Almost always better on a plasma than an LCD/LED.

950 vs 750
Higher contrast ratio
Wifi dongle included
And Trublack filter for brighter picture.

Just my humble opinion. Whatever u decide to choose... Best a luck.

Peace

I almost wish I could get the EU version, since I know 24p is fixed there

I know 24p looks terrible when it doesn't work. See http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showp...&postcount=165 And that US users complained about this too. The most vocal (kdburby) finally gave up on getting the f/w update when he bumped up to his 30 day return window, and he just returned his set due to the 24p issues. See http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...3#post20657243

Can somebody who has this set in the US please confirm 24p does or does not work correctly when your BD player is set to output 1080p/24? What is your f/w version?

I really *hate* to buy something like this sight unseen, but there is no store that I can find with a demo unit that I can play with.

Sigh.

Drew

Bad idea. When you will know more about the full "24p" story, you will understand why



The main problem is: most people don't know enough about some (perverse) things like the "24p", but that thing is understandable. But if they don't like to investigate and spend time to learn (starting by reading carefully the PDF users manuals of their TV and players) they often do wrong things, like I think happened to kdburby (returned his set)

I had a look at his posts (you posted): in his second post he said: "Returning mine. Never got the Film Mode to work". And then other people start to speak about that thing (film mode OSD option), and about an OSD option to activate the LG "real cinema 3:3", and so on.

Well, that was only a wast of time. The "film mode" option on the LGs plasma (all) has nothing to do with the 24p support. That option works only when the source is interlaced like, for example, some/all TV channel (SD or HD 480i/576i/1080i), otherwise it is greyed out (and that's right). When you set it ON, the processor of the TV will start to try to detect film mode flags coming from the source togheter with the contents (the images), and when it detects them it applyes the right cadence and you get the best deinterlacing (and so, the best image quality from all the interlaced sources). In the E.U., all the LGs where really good on doing that video-processing (film mode) starting from the 2008 plasma serie, as well as the samsung plasma starting from the 2010 series (at least), while all the panasonic plasma always failed on that (!). It has been reported on many reviews, and I have explained that things more than one time in this site (and many times on italian forums, because people don't read carefully the user manual and the reviews). BTW: with the LGs, when the source is interlaced I suggest you to always set the "film mode" option to ON, because when the contents are not "film flagged" (video contents) it works good in any case. (ps. I hope you know that there are 2 "standard" for the contents: "film" and "video").

Speaking about the LG "Real cinema" ("24p"), from what I know on the LG plasma it works automatically (and it was working very good on the 2010 models - ask to Chad B. about that, or read his reviews). There are no option you must set on the OSD to get it working. Different thing is on panasonic and samsung plasma, and I guess that is why some people got confused. BTW, The right/best way to manage that thing is the LG approach: why you should set an option just to tell the TV that the incoming signal is the 1080p/24 standard? The video-processing of the TV can/could detect it in the same way it does for all the other video standard (480p, 720p, etc), and apply what that standard needs (the right cadence, frequency, and so on). The problem is: not all video-processing (or video processor chips) are able to do that thing automatically and, second, some of them (panasonic and samsung) are giving you some option from the OSD because (in case you set them to ON) they use it to do frame interpolation, like the "famous" IFC from panasonic (and the "soap opera" effect you get with it).

So, at the end, in that case people were doing difficult what, instead, was easy: looking for something that it is not needed on the LG plasma

But.. hey.. what i told you until now has nothing to do with the "real" 24p "story", which could be more difficult to understand (and to explain for me, because my english in not so good), and long if you want to go "in depth". Lets start in this way: when you don't get a smooth reproduction from a 1080p/24 source, it could be because of:

1. your TV don't support both the two 24p standard: 23.976p (U.S.) and the "real" 24p (24 frames exactly).

2. your BD player or mediaplayer don't support both the two 24p standard (see above), and don't let you to choose the video standard you want/need.

3. you don't know the above mentioned things, and that there are BD (or BD ISO or MKV 1080p/24) which output is 23.976p and others which the output is 24p. And so, if all your hardware is not setup properly, or/and it don't support all we need to get always a smooth reproduction, you get in trouble.

A lot of things to know. The problem is that there are 2 "24p" standard, not only 1 (!), and there is still something I would like to get sorted out about that story, but to try to do it I must buy a BD writer for my pc and some BD movies directly from U.S. (same titles I bought here in Italy). Then, buy and learn some special software and make comparisons on data. It take times, but I know I'll do that during the next months.

I bet my 2 cents that, in all this 24p mess, the U.S. people can have less problems, expecially if, to watch movies, you are using a mediaplayer instead of a normal BD player. Why? Because (for example) most of the movies you find on internet are 23.976p and not 24p. (and i guess that is because they came from U.S. people). To know more about this 24p thing, please read carefully this thread, it is not so long (5 short pages): http://forum.slysoft.com/showthread.php?t=40035 - inside it you will find same useful post.

ps. CNET (U.S.) LG plasma 2011 reviews available?

Going to have dinner now, cheers

Do you own a US xxPZ950? If not, please stop replying! It is far too time consuming to try to reply to you.

Again, the problem that others reported is that the TV doesn't do proper 3:3 pulldown with a 24p source, but actually does do a decent job of 3:2 pulldown with a 1080p/60 source. Several Europeans reported that this issue has been fixed for them via a f/w update, but all I've seen from people in the USA is that they're returning or selling the set (at least 3 so far in this thread) due to this issue. I really want this feature.

Again, are there any *US* xxPZ950 owners who can confirm that 1080p/24 playback now works as expected from BD, with normal film cadence, and not the "hitching, stuttering" performance reported by others earlier in this thread.

Thanks,
Drew

Hi derod,
I agree with you

Here is a link I found to a recent review (more like a preview) of the 60"PZ950

http://www.review-tvs.com/lg/lg-60pz950-review/

Pretty much sums up what a GREAT set this really is without breaking the bank...and trust me, you wouldn't be settling if your are staying under budget. Lots of stores, walk in or on line, are throwing in 2 glasses and a bluray3D DVD player to boot like I did when I got mine.

Peace

Consumer Reports just did a Review of the LG-60"PZ950 (scored 80) and was Highly Recommended!

I copy/pasted their take of this set below, among 3D Plasma Sets and it beat out...

Samsung-PNXXD800
Panasonic-Viera TC-P51/59GT30.

Rated slightly higher was...

Panasonic Viera TC-P50ST30 (81) and the Panasonic Viera TC-P55VT30 (82).

Here is what they said...

Reviews & Recommended - LG 60PZ950

tester image

CR's Take

This 60-inch 1080p 3D-capable plasma TV from LG--among the biggest 3D sets we've tested--delivers excellent overall picture quality. Its performance in the 3D mode was very good. Part of LG's flagship plasma series, this model has a lot of features, including THX certification for both 2D and 3D, Wi-Fi (via an included adapter) and LG's Smart TV platform with a full Web browser and an apps market. The TV has access to a lot of online content, including streaming movies and TV shows from Amazon, CinemaNow, Netflix, and Vudu. It also has a 2D-to-3D conversion feature, which can create a 3D-type effect from standard 2D programs. It comes with LG's gesture-based Magic Motion wand remote control. No 3D glasses are included.

Highs
Excellent picture detail and color accuracy
Very good 3D performance with full 1080p resolution
Lots of features
Excellent remote control

Lows
3D picture was a bit dim
Mirror-like screen could produce annoying reflections

Detailed test results

PICTURE QUALITY. This TV had excellent high-definition and standard-definition picture quality, and very good 3D performance. It did a top-notch job displaying the finest detail, so you can fully appreciate nuances like individual strands of hair or the texture of fabric. Color accuracy was excellent, so colors looked very natural and life-like.

Contrast--the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites--was good so images showed some depth and dimension. In this respect, the TV was similar to most of the models we test. The brightness level was good, making it a suitable choice for most rooms.

In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the TV did a very good job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. The deinterlacing and film mode operations were effective on both HD and SD content, so we saw little or no evidence of jaggies on the edges of objects for video and film-based content.

3D PERFORMANCE. The overall 3D performance was very good, on par with the better current-generation displays. 3D images showed effective depth with minimal levels of ghosting (left eye/right eye crosstalk) on our 3D test patterns, and on a wide variety of 3D program content. In 3D mode, the display presented full 1080p resolution to each eye, showing all the detail from the best 3D content on Blu-ray. But image brightness was on the dim side, less than we expect for normal 2D viewing.

The screen surface on this plasma was reflective, more mirror-like than most, and not the best choice for brighter rooms. Unlike some newer plasma displays that employ a darker screen technology that maintains contrast in a bright room, this set's screen surface will wash out the image if light falls directly on the screen.

SOUND QUALITY. Sound was good, fine for typical TV programming, but won't reproduce the full range of movie soundtracks and music. Volume range is good and we didn't hear much distortion at the higher levels. However, deep bass and treble are lacking, and the midrange has a "tunnely" sound.

CONTROLS AND CONNECTIVITY. The remote control is excellent. All buttons on the remote are backlit so they're easy to see in the dark. The remote's major function buttons were sufficiently large and with high-contrast labeling, making them easier to see and navigate. However, in order to access the setup menu, you have to navigate through the "home" menu, which includes all Internet apps. There's a dedicated button on the remote to access Internet features. It comes with an additional Magic Motion remote that will act as a mouse for Internet apps and Web browser. The TV is DLNA certified, so you can view digital photos, music and videos stored on a PC, phone, or other mobile device via a home network. A swivel base makes it easy to angle the screen without shifting the whole TV.

And I think, AVForums did make a better job.

Over here in germany, we would call the guy of CNET UK a "Jubelperser".

The avforums and HDTVtest (U.K.) reviews are much more "in depth", but after having read all their plasma reviews and related comments/threads starting from the 2008 models, and knowing what happened later on the real world, my personal opinion is that some of their reviewers are not really "unbiased", and they like a bit too much the products of a famous brand (expecially starting from the 2009 models). I trust much more the opinions/reviews of some U.S. ISF certified calibrators like, for example, Chad B.. They get money from their technical work and not from websites sponsors.

Good point.

Just hit 1000 hrs on my PZ950 today and have to say I could not be happier with the performance or picture quality of the set, whether I'm gaming, watching movies or just viewing any sort of HD programming. I think it is underated and continue to believe it is stilll possibly the best value in it's class.

Hello 1CoolDad,

Congrats man! Haven't seen you round these parts lately. How are you able to know how much time you have watched on set. Do you actually time it, or is there somewhere on the set that logs it for you? My guess is you just average hours daily.

I agree with you 1,0000 percent on how set is highly underrated and best bang for the buck!

Glad to see u back

Peace

Thanks derod, guess I've been too busy enjoying my PZ to post much lately To find your hours get your remote and go Home-Setup-Support-Product/Service and it shows as Used Time. This is also how you get your serial number without having to get to the back of the tv as well as other information.

Awesome!! Had no idea was there. I don't know if you read my last few posts but my new 60pz950 (remember I replaced my pz750) is in storage (a/c inside of course) and man...I am suffering without it!!!

Wanted to use at my mom's, where I am staying, but really no room for it so I have to wait until kids get settled into new school, they start tomorrow here in Florida, and then find our new place.

Was tempted to rent Priest 3D but I will wait to watch on my new LG.

If you ever get a chance, wonder if you could post your fav settings. Also would like to see some other members' settings like...
Bhazard
Maurice
Rob80b
Smpearce
George b
Turrican and others.

Peace

I've the PX950 not the PZ, so I'm exempt, but I did try all the settings posted from reviews and users plus a bit a tweaking on the THX settings (code 8741). Maybe I lucked out, but the stock THX settings on my set are basically spot on without scrutinizing them with calibration equipment.

Thanx for your reply Rob80.

I know that bhazard mentioned that THX 8741 tweak. I would be a little reluctant to mess with, but if I can make just a tad brighter, especially in 3D mode, I guess I will go for it... so long as I can revert back if I choose to at any time.

Guess I should wait for that "break in" 200-300 hrs most folks talk about before I do. I hardly have 72 hrs on mine.

Peace

Orbiter option always ON, to prevent image retention of channels logos.

Preset THX Cinema tweaked (with the 8741 trick) in this way:

- Contrast: 68-69
- Brightness: 51
- Color: 45-46
- Film mode: always ON when the source allows you to set it (it works with interlaced sources only, like the Antenna input).
- Black level option is depending from the source. If the source is a PC set it to "high" (RGB levels=0-255), for BD/DVD players as well as most other sources, set it to "low" (RGB levels=16-235) - (i guess that are the names in english).

Try it for night viewing with your LG plasma (*). For day viewing, just set Contrast to 72-73 and color to 46-47, if you feel you need it. You can tweak the THX Bright preset to use it as "day viewing". Remember you should wait at least 150 hours before your plasma will start to give you the best image quality (90-95%, because to get 100%, from my experience on the LGs plasma, it takes about 350 hours).

(*) If your LG has not the THX presets, use those settings with the "Cinema" preset, which is the equivalent of the THX Cinema on other (or older) models.

Don't worry about that 8741 "trick", you can't go wrong with it. It was original made to allow the ISF certified calibrators to lock the Expert presets after calibration (try it on them, and you will see how it works). Later LG was using it to lock also the THX preset (luckily for us)

With the settings I posted before, you don't need to do any special "break-in". Just use your TV and enjoy it

Ah.. I forgot.. my settings were for 2D mode. For 3D I guess you will prefer to use the standard THX Cinema settings, without changing Contrast and Color.

I wouldn't call it a tweak, but adjusting the brightness and contrast should be all that is initially required, but play around with the settings if you like to get a handle on the technology, you can always use "reset" if in doubt.
It was mentioned somewhere but not to sure where, that there is more to the THX settings than just the the 20 point calibration, meaning if you transfer all the settings to an expert mode for example the results are not the same as the THX setting.
Mauri's settings are about right, I noticed an increase in image retention in the first 100 hours or so, but once the set has settled in I find it a non issue, probably just the phosphors equalizing in brightness.
Anyway have fun with your new set, I find the image quality quite additive.

Much thanks again for sharing your knowledge and advise! I will look for those settings Mauri posted. Mauri, if you read this, can you re-post those settings?

Addictive indeed!

Peace

If you ever get a chance, wonder if you could post your fav settings. Also would like to see some other members' settings like...
Bhazard
Maurice
Rob80b
Smpearce
George b
Turrican and others.

Peace[/quote]

My settings are the settings from the FlatpanelsHD review, but with Gamma set to High instead of Low. It looks very good on my set.

I tried using my ISF calibrated settings from my PX950 thinking it would be similar, but it was way off.

derod, i guess Rob80b was referring to my post #414

Save it on your favourites, if you like.

[/quote]
That's right hazard. I remember you saying that. I actually tried on both pz750 and pz950 (when I upgraded) and thought exactly what you did except I didn't raise the gamma which I will def try!!

Much thanks!