Official Panasonic ST50 Series Discussion Thread [No Street Price Talk] - Page 302

I believe the slides merely aid in aging the phosphors evenly. The ST50 has a guaranteed half-life of 100,000 hours so running it for a mere 100 consecutive hours is not an issue. I personally used the slides for two consecutive weeks when not watching the unit. In essence, right out of the box, I ran the panel 336 hours without ever shutting if off. My main reason for doing this was to check for issues while under the Amazon warranty. During this time I only witnessed the pq get better and better. I currently use a dnice settings for my FIOS hdmi input and CNET settings for my Blu-Ray hdmi input. I am having my unit professionally calibrated in two weeks and I am curious to see if they can increase my pq any further, as it is already great.

Also you don’t have to use the slides. You can just watch your TV in full screen mode with the contrast and brightness settings turned down for the first 100 hours or so. I found dnice’s instructions self-explanatory. If you are using a SDcard, just hit the SDcard button on your remote and follow the on screen instructions. Enjoy your set.

Gotcha cool. It has arrived, it's sitting on my floor going through the slides while my other TV is up on the stand. Too lazy to put it up there until 100 hours to see if the viewing angle is good. I was judging it mostly from looking down at the screen, it's good to hear that filter mostly affects looking at the at the TV from abve.

I'm a noob, but I think I can tackle this question. On my S2 I was confused on how to start the slideshow too or how to actually get to it. On the ST50 hit the VIERA TOOLS button on the remote (next to the big green button), then go to the photo mode listed in the bottom, then you can start the slideshow with a buttom press that will be listed on the TV. You just have to do the 100 hours with slides and that is break in, no additional time. I ran my S2 for 100 straight hours and nothing bad happened, TV turned out insanely good looking, plan to do the same with this ST50

There is indeed an FAQ on page 3 of the ST50 Settings thread at HDJ.

If you haven't already, take off the plastic film on the bezel. Leaving it on could adversely affect the aging process due to uneven heat build-up around the bezel.

Seriously? I think thats the first Ive heard that. I know you should take it off but I was under the impression that it was because the heat would basically bake it on to the bezel and make it very difficult to get off. It does have a minute amount of adhesive on it.

Just to be clear, D-Nice has one group of settings for running the slides right out of the box. After doing that, you enter D-Nice's calibrated settings for normal viewing. If you've already been using your TV for normal viewing then forget the slides. The slides are only relevant in the first 100 hours of use on a new TV that D-Nice has calibrated and then posted settings.
A lot of plasma owners have done the following:

Click here.
You can do it any way you want. It doesn't make any difference to the TV. The most dangerous time for any electronic device is when it's powered on and cool.

DNice also has a set of settings that you can use that are "out of the box" if you choose not to use the slides or find out about them too late. They are literally right underneath the other set and he explains this very clearly.

I agree, this sounds like made-up pseudo-science. It's not like the acrylic is a vastly better heat conductor than the plastic sticker that's covering it. Covering the plastic bezel with a little bit more plastic shouldn't affect its ability to dissipate heat. Someone wasn't paying attention in their heat & mass transfer course.

Now, if the bezel were made of aluminum, and you covered it with an asbestos sticker...

Man, the things we read around here!

"Man, the things we read around here!"

Yes. Seriously guys, take a step back and really think about how much work you're putting into this. It's not necessary, and it couldn't be worth it.

Viewing from that angle below the TV should be fine.
Its angles above the TV (like standing up if the set's height is set for viewing from sitting on the couch) where you would see a significant reduced contrast.

Since I'm already going through a plasma "preparation phase", I want to make sure I do it right and do everything that is recommended. I apologize if this has been asked already but honestly, I didn't go back and read every post in this thread...

I just got a new ST50 a few days ago and started running the D-Nice slides right out of the box. It is about halfway through and has been running constantly. I plan to leave it running through the suggested 100 hours.

So my question is... once the 100 hours is up, should I also run the "break-in" DVD? If it is recommended to also run that DVD for 16 hours, should I change the TV settings to what D-Nice posted before running the DVD or after (or does it even matter?).

Thanks and great information here by the way!

You don't need to run anything after the 100 hours. You can use a calibration disk after you input the settings if you want though.

I dont know what the break in dvd is. Most likely you wont need it if you are using the slides to prep. After the 100 hrs plug in DNice settings and then if you want to use the break in dvd feel free.

I don't know what "break-in" disk you are referring to, but after you have entered D-Nice's calibrated settings you are free to adjust them to your taste using a "calibration" disk. D-NIce points out that his setting are a starting point, and no substitute for a quality professional calibration.

The only "break-in" concerns that I have are suggested in this post.

Click here for the answer to the question that you haven't ask yet.

Now I just need to start looking for a good calibration disk. Where did you get yours?



Thanks for the responses. I read about the "break-in DVD" in two threads. This is the first thread: http://www.avsforum.com/t/949107/master-burn-in-ir-break-in-thread-part-ii-all-posts-here-only

And this is the thread with a download for the "break-in DVD": http://www.avsforum.com/t/583089/download-break-in-dvd-svcd#post_6230381

Looking back at when the threads were created... maybe this isn't needed for 2012 models or newer?
Edited by SoIcanSearch - 3/3/13 at 3:42pm

I used AVS HD 709 but I really didn't need to change much of anything. I just wanted to be sure the settings worked for my TV. I think I turned contrast a point or two higher, and maybe brightness one point lower, but everything else I left the same. You can probably skip it entirely, it's better to be used when you have no settings to start with.

Those threads are Part 1 and Part 2. The Part 2 thread is a good place to discuss IR and Burn-in, and it's still active. I gave you the Reader's Digest version of how most people control IR and avoid Burn-in.

The break-in disk, referred to in Part 1, is either identical to or very similar to the one suggested by D-Nice. The difference is that D-Nice correctly points out that it's neither a protection against Burn-in or is it a general method for breaking in a display. Breaking in a display is what happens when you use it.

D-Nice uses the slides for a standard amount of equal aging for all pixels on a new display so that the initial rapid aging will slow down before he calibrates the display. Using his settings and his procedure gets anyone close to, but not exactly on his calibration.

Over time any display will drift so that the calibrated settings no longer get the same results. Using the TV a 100 hours or more before a calibration makes any given calibration's results last longer. Our display had a full calibration at 900 hour, a touch up at 2,300 hours, and a full calibration just past 5,000 hours.
Edited by htwaits - 3/3/13 at 6:29pm

ST50 - internet

How do I know where is the focus (cursor) when I go to internet mode?

Spend like an hour before realizing that the beeping heard on the remote was actually moving the cursor. Beeping is almost as if you did a mistake.
Visually its hard to see where is the cursor is before pressing ok.

Was trying to do into youtube menu .. but it was basically trial and error after I realized about the beeps.

Looking for help to find the best connections for my new setup. I’m currently running the D-Nice slides so I’m in planning mode right now.

This is my equipment:

• Sony 40” XBR4 (existing TV from 2006)
• Panasonic 50" TV TC-P50ST50 (my new TV replacing the Sony)
• Panasonic 3D Blu-Ray Disc Player DMP-BDT220CP
• Comcast Motorola HD Cable Box (HDMI)
• Onkyo Receiver TX-SR605 (7 year old receiver that handles HDMI but not 3D or ARC)

With my existing Sony XBR4, I have a single HDMI cable from the TV to the receiver, and the blu-ray player and cable box each have an HDMI cable to the receiver. The receiver has to be turned on for the device to work (cable or blu-ray). Set up like so:
Sony TV<--(HDMI)-->Onkyo Receiver<--(2xHDMI)-->Blu-ray player and Cable box

Since the receiver does not support 3D, I need to run HDMI from the blu-ray player to the TV directly if I want to watch 3D movies. To get sound to the receiver for movies, I’m thinking about running a Toslink cable. This is what I think may work but hoping someone can chime in if this will work or if there is another good solution without upgrading the receiver.

1. VIDEO: Panny TV<--(2xHDMI)--> Blu-ray player (Port 1) and Cable box (Port 3?)
2. SOUND: Panny TV<--(Toslink)--> Onkyo Receiver

By the way, thanks htwaits for the recommendations.

If I'm not missing something, your setup should work. Because of copyright restrictions you will get stereo back from youir TV. If you do Toslink from the Blu-ray player to the AVR you'll get core lossy 5.1 surround when it's available. That's true for your cable box too.

If you gave up 3D you could get Blu-ray lossless audio from your player to the AVR as LPCM audio. One way to get Blu-ray lossless audio and 3D would be to upgrade your AVR. If you upgraded your Panasonic Blu-ray player for one with two HDMI outputs (Panasonic, Sony, OPPO), that would work too.

Thanks, this helps a lot. I’ll start looking for a new AVR but in the meantime, I think I’ll go with this solution and forego 3D (don’t have 3D glasses now anyway and like the Blu-ray lossless audio).

1. Panny TV<--(HDMI Port 1)--> Cable box<--(Toslink)--> Onkyo Receiver (will only use receiver for sound for some cable movies and sports)
2. Panny TV<--(HDMI Port 3)--> Onkyo Receiver<--(HDMI)--> Blu-ray player

You can switch back and forth. Just hook it up both ways and access whatever you choose and when. If it is 2d you can get lossless and if it is 3 d you can get 3d without lossless. Its not like DD 5.1 sounds bad. Likely you couldnt tell the difference between lossless and lossy anyway.

Hmmm, I guess this would work then:

1.Panny TV <--(HDMI Port 1)--> Cable box <--(Toslink)--> Onkyo Receiver (will only use receiver for sound for some cable movies and sports)
2.Panny TV <--(HDMI Port 3)--> Blu-ray player <--(Toslink)--> Onkyo Receiver (will use receiver for sound)

This way I don't lose 3D capability and still get good audio (at least up to the limitations of Toslink).

Sorry to get off topic with all of this but thanks for help. Now just one more day of waiting for the D-Nice slides.

My two cents : I have had NO issues watching hockey on my st50, no blobs, no blinking or anything else distracting. just saying

Thanks, everyone, for the replies. I found the [URL=http://www.**************.com/display-settings-calibrations-reviews/12986-2012-panasonic-settings-issues-thread.html]FAQ on the HDJ forum[/URL] and the answers here helped explain a lot of things. So once the slideshow has been run, your best advice htwaits, is to "mix it up and enjoy?" I think why some people might be confused is because D-Nice says "This procedure is NOT designed nor recommended to be used as Break-in, Image Retention and/or Burn-in prevention," which implies there's some other important step that has to be taken to prevent those things.

Right. I never recommend doing anything that I wouldn't do.

Mostly people who don't get it just ignore that statement. D-Nice is very direct as a person. If he thought there was something specific people should do with their plasma displays, he would just say so. What he wants to make clear is that his procedure has one and only one purpose. And that's to get the most possible out of the settings from his calibration of the same model display.

Enjoy.

Whew that was a long 100 hours. Felt faster on my S2,maybe because I was green with ignorance and didn't know how good the picture was going to look so I was patient. Watching Samsara right now with D-nice's settings, everything looks great from what I can tell, although I don't have a well trained eye. It looks less warm than my S2 which is nice cause my S2 was v. warm.

Does the Disney WOW disc come with a color sheet to look through? I bought the blueray essentials and it came with one, though the Disney WOW disc seems more recommended here so I might get that because I lost the Essential blueray.

Does anyone have game mode recommendations yet? I will probably use the WOW disc to try and come up with something...

That doesnt narrow it down much.

Yes. The WOW disc comes with a blue film.