Official Panasonic UT50 Series Discussion Thread - Page 53

I had an idea that manufacturers should have an upgrade option if you wanted to pay to more advanced firmware. Really what's stopping them from making those programmed options better?

Thank your for your reply.

Other than the browser that your Boxee offers what other major additional features do you utilize off your Boxee?

Also, if I do use the HDMI to VGA converter, would I get HD/decent quality of my computer's desktop?

Regards,
Sam

How does a UT50 compare to the S30 or ST30? My friend has an S30 and if its better than that I think I will be set if not I'll have to get an LCD or wait and save for the ST50.

If you can use a DVI-HDMI that would be better because both are digital. I don't think it would be an issue going from VGA to HDMI because the PC should be able to do the resolution without problems, right? As long as you can do 1920x1080 @ 60 Hz you should be fine.

I can't speak of the ST30 or S30, but you'll be hard pressed to find an LCD this year that can match the picture quality of the UT50, especially in its price range. Most people on AVS who have commented said you'd have to get something like the Sony HX 929 or something like that. Way out of the price range to the UT50. In the price range of the UT50, I don't think you can get the picture quality mainly because the introduction of the LED-lit panel. In my opinion, they're trash for picture quality and you'll be hard pressed to find a CCFL LCD.

Can someone explain in detail the picture variables/settings in game mode? I've read some users' posts that claim game mode is no different than custom as long as "HDMI content is set to graphic". Others claim some kind of auto contrast feature is enabled, essentially crushing blacks and making it almost unplayable.

Just picked up this set from Best Buy the other day, replacing a 50" Samsung B650 series plasma - mainly just so I can venture into the 3D world. Quick question, this TV seems to show the phosphors bouncing all around the screen a ton more and more apparent than my last Plasma I believe. Is this normal? I mean from 8 feet back watching Blu Ray material it's not noticeable at all, but when you get up close to the screen it's quite noticeable, especially on HD broadcasted content.

Also, is the Sharpness feature really intended to not be used while watching Blu Ray content and HD programming? Without upping the sharpness lettering looks real bad, everywhere, so I've questioned if we're really intended to watch programming without sharpness or not - because I usually see the majority state zero sharpness is the way to go.

This also leads me to the "warm" picture, this is the industry standard as well? Using Cinema/Warm 2 does improve the skin tones nicely, but blue skies really don't pop blue, same with other colors of the sort. This is the "standard" color hue to watch content as well?

Thanks in advance for anybody who answers these questions.

I don't have the answer but I've read that the dithering or grainy bouncing starts to subside as you put more hours on the tv.

Hi all
Yesterday I got this, I'm not sure what you all call it, but it just showed up, I have about 90 hours on this set now, and nothing else is wrong, so I hate to return it for this minor problem (only to get something worse).

Is it going to get bigger over time?
Will it go away?
What is it?

Its only noticeable on light scenes up close (but I can spot it now if I look at 5 feet away very closely only, and with grey mostly), I played a few movies and could not see it and that was looking for it, and it does not show up on black at all.

Thank

I don't like 0 sharpness also, I have mine set to either 75 or 100 (watching a computer is down less than 50 tho), depending if I see artifacts (jaggies too much, etc..) Thats why they put it there, some like blurry (not me), some like sharp, user preference.

I do not like warm either, wayyyyy toooo washed out (like a 30 year old tv tube), until I went into the service menu, and used a combination of settings (posted here or in the settings section), that I like. Now I have it on warm 2 everywhere, and it looks better than ever, (do a search for service manual, in here or the settings section, it explains in good enough detail how to use, and wright down your original settings before you change anything!). (At your own risk also, just be careful)

As far as the grain, I also find standard mode has the most of this, once you calibrate to your liking on custom using warm 2, I think most goes away, still there but not as bad. Ive read samsung's handle this better.

Blacks are better on the UT50, input lag would be better on the s series.

Thank you for your answer.

You guys have all been very helpful.

This might have been already discussed before but what is your favourite configuration/setting on the UT50?

Thanks

Bumping my own post. Someone must have an answer to this?

LN46D630 is CCFL I think, mainly its edge lit LED's that mess every thing up, full arrays are better

I think I'm going to go pick up a 50UT50 then and try it out I've just never owned a plasma and don't know where to go if I don't like the IR or buzzing or ABL. I want the ST50 but they keep dropping the price on the U, UT and GT but not the ST.

I wish I could afford the Sony HX850 or Vizio M3D470KD but then I'd just get the 50GT50

LCD's are just so much simpler; no glare, easy to move around, they last for ever and don't darken or brighten over time much, put out a lot less heat, don't hum...
like the ST50 or just the older models? How about brightness?
Edited by ScaryFatKidGT - 12/29/12 at 12:16pm

Input lag is better on the s30 st30 lcds have glare problems also almost every set has that unless they have a matte finish or a ar coating

I don't know about any 'auto contrast' feature, but I've noticed some strange behavior in Game and Normal modes.

Can someone with a PC connected to their UT50 please try this out?

Save the following 1080p screenshots and flip between them fullscreen on your UT50. In 'normal' mode with brightness/contrast around 50%/default, does the brightness apper to fluctuate as you switch from one to another? (of course, I'm assuming your image viewer doesn't use any transitional effects)

On mine, instead of the shades changing instantly, they take a few milliseconds to ramp up and down. The funny thing is, this doesn't happen in 'cinema' mode.




I have the TV running in clone alongside an LCD monitor, and on the monitor the transition is instantaneous while on the TV it clearly isn't. Again, in 'cinema' mode I don't see the issue.

Playing them off a USB drive yeilds even stranger results. The TV's media player tries to use a fade transition, but this fluctuating brightness effect happens and the screen is almost pulsing.

I've not used it, however the manual states:


Edited by Oubadah - 12/29/12 at 2:12pm

Do you have find Game Mode messes up the gamma and crushes blacks? I understand Game Mode is the only mode that offers reasonable input lag, but to me it would be a useless mode if the picture is unfavorably altered.

Can you try my pictures in Game or normal Mode?

I tried Game mode briefly and saw the fluctuations mentioned above and that dithering appeared to be more prominent, but I never calibrated for that mode. I've been using Cinema for PC gaming, and find the input lag to be acceptable. I've not been playing competitively though.

I actually don't have the UT, which is why I'm inquiring about Game Mode. Did you notice any obvious gamma fluctuations/black crushing in Game Mode? What happens with color saturation, etc? What picture controls are available in Game Mode? Apparently setting HDMI to graphics in Game Mode is supposed to make things the best.

I don't have a 'HDMI graphics' setting. I have an NZ 50UT50, which is pretty much the same as the european version. My picture controls will probably be different to the model you can purchase. It's difficult to evaluate black crush in games, because some games have areas that are 100% devoid of light sources, so there is 'intentional' black crush.

I did a lot of comparison before I bought my UT50 and it truly is the best value for picture quality and if you want 1080p 3D. If you have a bright room then I suggest blackout curtains, the one from Amazon.com are amazing and will make your room/house look like night time when you have them drawn. One day I'm going to get around to doing a write-up on my set up but I haven't gotten to it yet. The only thing the ST50 has that the UT50 doesn't is a web browser and the AR/louvre filter. True full array LEDs are tough to find and the price reflects it. I couldn't get myself to even consider edge lit after being able to see the LEDs behind the bezel from off angles at the store. My UT50 does buzz, but I only hear it when there's no audio and it's bright picture. Otherwise it's a non-issue. Plasmas don't really dim much over time, I don't think. I think the "Half-Life" is something like 500,000 hours of brightness, if I recall correctly.

Ah, I see. Yah, it's unfortunate that the NA, UK, NZ, etc. models all seem to be different in slight ways. Then again, "slight" differences and problems to many of us on this forum are rather large differences and problems.

After doing some more searching, it appears the HDMI graphics settings allows Game Mode to utilize the Cinema gamma profile, which is good to hear. That comes from a couple members who seem knowledgeable, so I trust that information. However, now I've come across people with vertical banding issues (I realize "banding" is used for the lack of a better word here). I've learned you're one of those people. What a disappointment. I have an uneven horizontal area that crosses near the top 2/3rd of the screen on my TC-P58S1; however, it tapers out near the ends and is generally hard to spot during normal content. I loathe vertical bands.

Hm, hopefully, I've only got about 30-40 hours in it maybe so hopefully that's the case - I have the 30 days to return it for another set so we'll see. I was even noticing it last night on Showtime HD movies from a distance, mainly on darker scenes, not overly dark scenes (that looks good) but a fine medium of a normal and darker scene. Like I said though way less noticeable in Blu Ray content form a distance, gotta be up within 3 feet to notice it. Do you or anyone know if there has happened to be specific sets that were plagued with overly heavy grain/dithering than what's supposed to be on the set, considered defective because of it?

See it sounds like you and I have the same type of taste on color tones and sharpness, that's what I've always preferred. At the moment I'm using Anikuns Custom Mode settings with the color temp at Warm 1, because it just seemed like skin tones were too washed out at the Normal setting. I'll have to mess with the service menu settings and see how much that changes things up, after 100 hours though.

Shoot! Is there proof of this that the ST series has better input lag than the UT series? And also has anybody determined if Game Mode is identical to Custom Mode like last years sets, or if it's quicker this time.

I believe he's referring to the ST30 series, not the ST50. Also, Game Mode does indeed reduce input lag; however, by the sounds of it, this year's Game Mode is slower than all modes from last year or previous years. Then again, there seems to be a lot of confusion regarding input lag numbers on this year's sets. Most of this confusion stems from the new test some reviewers are using to measure input lag. Coupled with the fact that numbers and test methods vary between UK and US users and the situation is muddled, to say the least.

Understood, wasn't the Custom mode found to be quicker than last years Game Mode though - just by a hair? I think the remedy to this all would be for that new lag test device to be available to the public, like originally planned, don't know why it hasn't been able to be put in production for public purchase.

You forgot that I calibrated my Normal color temp to D65 for Custom mode, same as Warm, so of course it will look cool compared to either warm setting or to D65. For response time, it's been mentioned that the UT50, and I think U50, have the best response time the Panasonic line up, but also of many 2012 TVs. I don't remember estimated response time, you'll have to read either the series of discussion forum to find it, but it's been covered and it's supposed to be one of the best this year for gaming.

Yes, of course, I was just waiting for me to breach closer to the 100 hour mark before I went into the service menu and fiddled with the rest of the calibration. Just set my mode to custom, get into the service menu and adjust? Or is there a specific place for the "normal" temp to be adjusted? Through your readings have you found the answer about Custom Mode with all processing turned off is quicker, the same, or higher than Game Mode?

If you want the closest to D65 then you'd want to use Warm 2, it will look quite a bit warm but once you're adjusted to it the other settings will look wrong. Warm 2 is fairly decent for out of the box. When you go into the service menu it will automatically change the picture mode to whatever the default is. On my TV, vivid mode is what the SM goes into and since the firmware upgrade is sets overscan to HD1. When you get to the white balance menu you can change the color temp you want to adjust and the picture mode you want to adjust it for. I think it's important for calibration purposes to have the desired picture mode selected when adjusting white balance becasue different modes can have different gamuts and affect RGB differently. I noticed when I calibrated a U1 series that vivid made a big difference compared to cinema. I've read that game mode is pretty much the same as custom mode but with image processing turned off to ensure the best response time possible. I haven't done any readings to confirm this, I've only worked on custom mode and cinema mode.

anyone???

That small white dot in the pictures