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Official Panasonic VT50 owners thread - Page 226

post #6751 of 12522
9/13/12 at 3:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walking Beast View Post

I have a very obvious question,
Yes it's a very obvious question, and your answer to your own question is the only possible answer. wink.gif
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post #6752 of 12522
9/13/12 at 4:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cleveland Plasma View Post

As a merchant, we are in a bind when we our self's except deliveries from the manufacturer. How do we know if we are excepting units that are not cracked? Only one way to be sure, open the box and power up the set. Nothing worse then going on a local delivery 20 miles away to open up a box with a client standing right there to see a damaged TV inside. Of course we advise our clients in advance, and they all understand the liabilities that we are under when TV's come in.
It is obvious if your TV is used however, is the remote sealed? Power cord? Stand? Owners Manual?

Opening it is fine as long as the customer knows ahead of time. However, cutting into the front of the box is something I do not agree with
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post #6753 of 12522
9/13/12 at 4:15pm
Most if Not all displays - you just easily remove the white *carrier cardboard* holders - then remove the top box and styrofoam.
Granted this just Slightly more effort than cutting a U - but easily done...
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post #6754 of 12522
9/13/12 at 4:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BlueKhaki View Post

What area do you live in?
We don't do that in our store/district, but sometimes I wish we would. Panasonic may have the best TVs, but somewhere along the lines their TVs have by far the highest cracked/broken upon arrival of any of the major manufacturers.
Seems like an annoyance for people that really care about the box (it's just a box people) but they really do it to prohibit you from having to schedule a return exchange for another TV and wait even longer for the TV

I live in Colorado. I don't mind about the box really but it would have been better if they tell you that up front when you're buying the tv. Not when they are delivering it to your door.
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post #6755 of 12522
9/13/12 at 5:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by weedeater View Post

The difference is that you call the customer first.
If it were me, I would request that you do not cut up the box but that you may remove it from the box in order to power it up if a visual inspection is not sufficient.
Well that's the other thing, we do not cut the box, that's what the four white clips on the side of the box are for wink.gif To open and seal easy......
Cleveland Plasma Insider
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Cleveland Plasma Insider
» Get the latest news and updates at the Cleveland Plasma sponsor page.
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post #6756 of 12522
9/13/12 at 5:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by robnix View Post

Check the hours by doing this:
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1123534/accessing-panasonic-service-menu
1. Enter Service Menu (Hold Vol. - down on the TV while pressing the INFO button on the remote 3 times).
2. Press the {2} button on the remote 1 time, to go to SRV-TOOL.
3. Press the {OK} button. A blue grid will appear with the following information.
TD2Mictocode: 81c00011
Flash ROM: 1-227E
PTCT :00.00.00.00.00
4. Cursor down to the PTCT :00.00.00.00.00 line and then cursor over to the right to highlight the empty box.
5. Press and hold the {MUTE} button on the remote for 3 seconds.
The TIME / COUNT info will be displayed in Hours and Minutes of Operation.
6. To exit, press and hold the {POWER} button on the TV for 2 seconds.
The display will re-start by itself.

+1
I didn't realize I've got 50 hours 40 minutes viewing on my VT already. I guess getting through those first 100-200 hours will not take as long as I thought it would. biggrin.gif
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post #6757 of 12522
9/13/12 at 5:49pm
Did Panasonic really released a fixing firmware yet or still not?
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post #6758 of 12522
9/13/12 at 8:39pm
"Finally I found a model for my 4-5 foot viewing distance..."

Man you better use some sun block.eek.gif I don't sit that close to my computer monitor.
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post #6759 of 12522
9/13/12 at 8:52pm
So I have been running color slides for about 12 hours now. I have noticed that there is a slightly darker vertical band on the right side of the screen. It's about half an inch away from the right side and is about 3/4 of an inch thick. Anyone else have this. I am kind of OCD about things like that. Have to wait and see if it bothers me when watching tv or playing games. I got 60 days to return or exchange if I want to.
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post #6760 of 12522
9/14/12 at 1:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gradius2 View Post

Did Panasonic really released a fixing firmware yet or still not?

This is the only firm/software update I know about for the NA VT50's.
http://shop.panasonic.com/shop/model/TC-P65VT50?t=downloads&support#tabs

ss
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post #6761 of 12522
9/14/12 at 1:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gradius2 View Post

Did Panasonic really released a fixing firmware yet or still not?

SS's link is for the North American Model.

Don't know if it's safe to use on the model distributed in Brazil.

I'd hold off until I was sure that I had a firmware update that wouldn't brick (damage) my display.

If the Brazilian model has ethernet, I'd use it to access the correct firmware update.

As a practical matter, your's may have been manufactured since the update and already has it installed. Check to see if the lumanance controls work in Custom mode, Pro settings. If it works, then you already have the latest version.
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post #6762 of 12522
9/14/12 at 2:17am
^^^^

Yes Jim you are correct, that is why I used NA VT50.

The guy is a ISF Calibrator, so I would think he knows what to look for. Plus I don't know what fix he is talking about.

ss
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post #6763 of 12522
9/14/12 at 4:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by solat152 View Post

So I have been running color slides for about 12 hours now. I have noticed that there is a slightly darker vertical band on the right side of the screen. It's about half an inch away from the right side and is about 3/4 of an inch thick. Anyone else have this. I am kind of OCD about things like that. Have to wait and see if it bothers me when watching tv or playing games. I got 60 days to return or exchange if I want to.

Hello. I noticed the same ( exact) when I first got the TV. I am not running slides, just 16:9 HD Movie content and regular TV viewing. I am now 50+ hours and don't see the slightly darker vertical band on the right side any more.
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post #6764 of 12522
9/14/12 at 5:06am
If you want to make your VT50 look really, really, REALLY good - http://www.avsforum.com/t/1410156/the-official-panasonic-vt50-settings-thread/510#post_22401321
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post #6765 of 12522
9/14/12 at 5:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by solat152 View Post

So I have been running color slides for about 12 hours now. I have noticed that there is a slightly darker vertical band on the right side of the screen. It's about half an inch away from the right side and is about 3/4 of an inch thick. Anyone else have this. I am kind of OCD about things like that. Have to wait and see if it bothers me when watching tv or playing games. I got 60 days to return or exchange if I want to.

I have the same thing and it's not going away. I looked at the hours yesturday and I have 360. I ran the slides for 150 hours. My replacement is on it"s way. I would like some feedback as to how many have this problem and if a new one will be better. What is the build date of your tv?
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post #6766 of 12522
9/14/12 at 6:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by merccrazy View Post

I have the same thing and it's not going away. I looked at the hours yesturday and I have 360. I ran the slides for 150 hours. My replacement is on it"s way. I would like some feedback as to how many have this problem and if a new one will be better. What is the build date of your tv?

There is a thread on HDJ concerning this. 101 posts since early June. You might want to take a look.
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post #6767 of 12522
9/14/12 at 10:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by buzzard767 View Post

There is a thread on HDJ concerning this. 101 posts since early June. You might want to take a look.

Hmm I may have to check my TV again tonight. I didn't know this was an issue with so many people.
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post #6768 of 12522
9/14/12 at 2:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sillysally View Post

This is the only firm/software update I know about for the NA VT50's.
http://shop.panasonic.com/shop/model/TC-P65VT50?t=downloads&support#tabs
ss

Looks like no: "Countermeasure for connection with specific Ethernet router" only.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JimP View Post

SS's link is for the North American Model.
Don't know if it's safe to use on the model distributed in Brazil.
I'd hold off until I was sure that I had a firmware update that wouldn't brick (damage) my display.
If the Brazilian model has ethernet, I'd use it to access the correct firmware update.
As a practical matter, your's may have been manufactured since the update and already has it installed. Check to see if the lumanance controls work in Custom mode, Pro settings. If it works, then you already have the latest version.

I don't own the TV (yet), only few stores received them, where I live there is nothing still.

Every VT50 has Ethernet port, model here is no different, except for HDTV (almost same as Japanese).

I'm waiting for "luminance control" fix.
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post #6769 of 12522
9/14/12 at 3:59pm
My panel seems to be very prone to IR. I now have 185 hours on it, most of it D-Nice's slides, full white slides, hours of screen wiper, and some actual TV programming. I figured it would be sufficiently aged by now that IR wouldn't be a problem, but after last night's Yankee game I once again had the YES logo stuck on the screen. An hour of screen wipes and it was still there. A night of slides and it was still faintly visible. More screen wipes this morning, then I left the bright white slide on, and after nine hours it was finally gone. The picture is beautiful, but I really didn't expect to have to spend nearly a day to wipe away a residual image from one baseball game. FWIW I'm using Topper's latest settings in Custom and the Orbitor is engaged. Just mildly venting. I hope it gets better with time.
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post #6770 of 12522
9/14/12 at 5:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by larrygeary View Post

... I really didn't expect to have to spend nearly a day to wipe away a residual image from one baseball game. FWIW I'm using Topper's latest settings in Custom and the Orbitor is engaged. Just mildly venting. I hope it gets better with time.
You are not required to check for IR every time you watch a sporting event. Also, you are not required to take nonstop action against IR.

It's possible to never use slides or other IR detection options, and let normal viewing constantly keep IR in check.

On the other hand, if you watch nothing but Yankee games, nothing you do will prevent IR. According to D-Nice, there is no point in the life of a plasma display where it's impossible to get IR.

For me, the best approach has been to watch a variety of sources, and do nothing to check for IR except watch and enjoy your normal entertainment. IR isn't an infectious disease.

Just enjoy. tongue.gif
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post #6771 of 12522
9/14/12 at 5:46pm
I received the"The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall 25th Anniversary," blu-ray yesterday. While I am not someone that would normally buy an opera blu-ray, when I saw this blu-ray displayed on a calibrated Elite at my local BB , I wanted to see if I could recreate the same excellent PQ I saw at BB on my new VT50 at home. Using Cnet's David Katzmaier's VT50 HD Picture settings at http://forums.cnet.com/7723-19410_102-564711/panasonic-tc-p65vt50-picture-settings/?tag=StickyWin_1338818924521;createThreadPopup. I believe I have achieved what I saw on the Elite at BB at home on my non-calibrated Vt50 55". (This particular Blu-ray is filmed live on the stage, with specifically targeted theater lighting, deep dark black backgrounds , and extravagant over-the-top colorful, detailed costumes and sets resulting in a contrast torture test for any TV. ) I highly recommend this blu-ray for anyone looking to put their new TV through its paces.

While I am truly amazed with the VT50 's abilities with the blu-ray described above and David Katzmaier's picture settings ( David is an ISF certified calibrator) , I noticed that David complained a bit that he was not able to achieve "perfect charts " on the VT50 as the measurements he achieved were less consistent than he expected and he wondered how others "can achieve seemingly perfect charts with their VT50s."

"I tried reducing maximum light output to see if the measurements became more consistent, but it didn't help much. I saw similar swings in THX Cinema as well, where 60 IRE was particularly volatile. I'm curious how some other reviewers/calibrators can achieve seemingly perfect charts with their VT50s (my guess: they're better at calibrating than me), but in my case the measurements, and thus the charts, were less consistent than I expected. That said colors still looked superb on this set with program material, and my Custom calibration looked quite a bit better--with more contrast and a less-green grayscale--than either THX mode."

Question to the calibrators in this forum: Are there any other picture sections you might recommend that could potentially produce more consistent measurements on my VT50 50" than David's ? ( I realize a lot depends on the environment where the TV is located--mine happens to be in my bedroom--hence a darker room). Also, how do I get to the ISFccc submenu ( for N. America model) ?
Edited by LBJ2 - 9/15/12 at 5:53am
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post #6772 of 12522
9/14/12 at 5:50pm
I advise you get it calibrated and not use someone else's settings.
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post #6773 of 12522
9/15/12 at 10:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by buzzard767 View Post

There is a thread on HDJ concerning this. 101 posts since early June. You might want to take a look.

And if one really wants to read a thread of over 1000 posts (a continuation thread started recently) you can go to avforums and see the "Panasonic 2012 Vertical Band Issues" one. I don't know whether people there are more compulsive than here (I see a few people going through 3,4,5 sets just over this issue.) This can't be healthy. Just for the record, I, too, have a very faint band on my new GT50 (some 14 hours or so on it now) which is occasionally noticeable on panning shots of football, golf etc. It is subtle but it is there. I doubt it is going to go away with hours of usage as that is seemingly the consensus, but there is occasional anecdotal evidence from a few reliable posters that with a few hundred hours on the TV it can get better if not completely.

However, taking into account no buzzing, no (so far) dead/stuck pixels and generally very good uniformity on my TV with no "blobs" this does seem a hell of a lot better than dealing with lousy off-axis viewing, grey blacks, flashlighting and clouding.
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post #6774 of 12522
9/15/12 at 10:35am
My only new comment is the Buzzing. The VT50 is my 1st residential grade unit. All my plasmas going back 8-9 years ago have always been Panasonic commercial units.

Granted, I don't notice the buzzing unless I look for it - when the volume is very low, but it's there.
But now I GET what you posters are saying when you saying Buzzin

Go figure...cause I guarantee that if you walk to the sides of either the other 50, or 60" I have in the other rooms, there is NO buzzing ever .
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post #6775 of 12522
9/15/12 at 3:12pm
OK I have officially joined the VT50 owner's club. I ordered my set (the 55" model) a week ago and it arrived at the store yesterday so I went there this morning and got it. Just got it hooked up about half hour ago and now running D-Nice's break-in slides for the next about 100 hrs to get it "aged". I really like the look of the set. I plan on mounting it to the wall on Wednesday when I have the day off and more time to do such a task.
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post #6776 of 12522
9/15/12 at 6:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by robnix View Post

We've come uncomfortably close to 250GB a few times, went over it once. With streaming services getting better, and game companies heading towards DL only models, bandwidth usage is only going to grow.
I know this is an old post, but I'm just reading this thread now, as my wife surprised me by purchasing a 55" VT50 for my birthday. It should be here in a week or so.

That said, over the past 2 years, I've averaged 318GB download per month, based on the MRTG numbers from monitoring my router. Obviously some months were more than that and some less.

Those numbers will likely go down soon, as DirecTV just upgraded me to an HR34, and I would download a lot of shows that my 2-tuner TiVo could not record, especially since one tuner was often busy recording the Washington Nationals (and I have watched every game, even during the really bad years).
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post #6777 of 12522
9/15/12 at 11:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by larrygeary View Post

My panel seems to be very prone to IR. I now have 185 hours on it, most of it D-Nice's slides, full white slides, hours of screen wiper, and some actual TV programming. I figured it would be sufficiently aged by now that IR wouldn't be a problem, but after last night's Yankee game I once again had the YES logo stuck on the screen. An hour of screen wipes and it was still there. A night of slides and it was still faintly visible. More screen wipes this morning, then I left the bright white slide on, and after nine hours it was finally gone. The picture is beautiful, but I really didn't expect to have to spend nearly a day to wipe away a residual image from one baseball game. FWIW I'm using Topper's latest settings in Custom and the Orbitor is engaged. Just mildly venting. I hope it gets better with time.

anyone else having image retention problems? I am on the verge of buying this TV as it seems to be quieter than the Samsung models but when I read the 'CNET Burn In Challenge' and than reading posts like these I wonder if this is a problem for this years VT series ?
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post #6778 of 12522
9/16/12 at 5:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LBJ2 View Post

I received the"The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall 25th Anniversary," blu-ray yesterday. While I am not someone that would normally buy an opera blu-ray, when I saw this blu-ray displayed on a calibrated Elite at my local BB , I wanted to see if I could recreate the same excellent PQ I saw at BB on my new VT50 at home. Using Cnet's David Katzmaier's VT50 HD Picture settings at http://forums.cnet.com/7723-19410_102-564711/panasonic-tc-p65vt50-picture-settings/?tag=StickyWin_1338818924521;createThreadPopup. I believe I have achieved what I saw on the Elite at BB at home on my non-calibrated Vt50 55". (This particular Blu-ray is filmed live on the stage, with specifically targeted theater lighting, deep dark black backgrounds , and extravagant over-the-top colorful, detailed costumes and sets resulting in a contrast torture test for any TV. ) I highly recommend this blu-ray for anyone looking to put their new TV through its paces.
While I am truly amazed with the VT50 's abilities with the blu-ray described above and David Katzmaier's picture settings ( David is an ISF certified calibrator) , I noticed that David complained a bit that he was not able to achieve "perfect charts " on the VT50 as the measurements he achieved were less consistent than he expected and he wondered how others "can achieve seemingly perfect charts with their VT50s."
"I tried reducing maximum light output to see if the measurements became more consistent, but it didn't help much. I saw similar swings in THX Cinema as well, where 60 IRE was particularly volatile. I'm curious how some other reviewers/calibrators can achieve seemingly perfect charts with their VT50s (my guess: they're better at calibrating than me), but in my case the measurements, and thus the charts, were less consistent than I expected. That said colors still looked superb on this set with program material, and my Custom calibration looked quite a bit better--with more contrast and a less-green grayscale--than either THX mode."
Question to the calibrators in this forum: Are there any other picture sections you might recommend that could potentially produce more consistent measurements on my VT50 50" than David's ? ( I realize a lot depends on the environment where the TV is located--mine happens to be in my bedroom--hence a darker room). Also, how do I get to the ISFccc submenu ( for N. America model) ?

Ok so after some more research and a quick call to Panasonic, looks like the ISFccc settings are accessible via professional calibration only. (I had seen a couple of recommendations from various calibrator postings like Chad B's recommending ISF Day Mode for this TV)

In the meantime, I also found another site willing to post their settings recommendations so I could compare with David Katzmaier's picture settings here:
http://forums.cnet.com/7723-19410_102-564711/panasonic-tc-p65vt50-picture-settings/?tag=StickyWin_1338818924521;createThreadPopup

These settings (by Thomas J. Norton, Hometheater.com) seem to achieve a better RGB Balance than Davi'd's settings http://www.hometheater.com/content/panasonic-tc-p65vt50-3d-plasma-hdtv-settings ( on the post calibration report posted anway) Oddly, they seem to be missing IRE 40, and 50 settings so I just left them at 0.
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post #6779 of 12522
9/16/12 at 6:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bearzfan1963 View Post

anyone else having image retention problems? I am on the verge of buying this TV as it seems to be quieter than the Samsung models but when I read the 'CNET Burn In Challenge' and than reading posts like these I wonder if this is a problem for this years VT series ?

Hello. This being my first plasma and I can tell you the IR discussion is worrisome ( to us plasma newbies) and the break-in period is indeed inconvenient ( "if needed at all"). I chose to give it a shot and while some on this forum just "watch" their TVs with no special break-in approach others run slides. I didn't run slides I chose to run 16:9 HD content ( logo-less) via the Starz movie channel for 90% of the last 100 hours break-in period while watching normal content from time-to-time as normal ( with logos and information bars). I am just over 115 hours at the moment ( at great relief to my family). I have been running this thing 24hours a day in "standard" mode and zoom mode ( to avoid black bar programming) with Pixel Orbiter enabled during the break-in process. I think I'll leave the Pixel Orbiter enabled always ( just to "feel" safer anyway). BTW Standard mode is pretty bad for regular viewing ( very dark and washed out). I haven't seen any sign of IR yet--but..I am not going to look for it . I'm hoping by viewing varied content it will take care of itself if it ever becomes a noticeable issues as some have suggested on this forum and in other posts.

In comparison to my very good PQ Sony LED TVs which required no break-in ( none that I was aware of anyway) with the VT50 I am enjoying deeper blacks, better contrast, excellent viewing angles plus better 3D ( less ghosting by changing the TV's 24p setting (under the Advanced Picture submenu) from the THX 3D Cinema default of 60Hz to 48Hz). I do however on the VT50 see more pixels, I think its called "face dots" because at times you can see dots on a person's face up close. I've also seen what appears to be "interlacing" on some lower 4:3 content during movement as well as jerky movement occasionally ( similar to what I saw on some Samsung LED TVs). All of which may be something I can control through some yet unknown settings adjustments. I'm still exploring here, not wanting to spend another $300-400 for professional calibration.

BTW, if you do decide to buy the VT do check amazon.com regularly for some fantastic pricing on the VT. They seem to change pricing all the time ( sometimes several times in a day) and you can get the 55" for as low as $1999 range.
Edited by LBJ2 - 9/16/12 at 7:08am
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post #6780 of 12522
9/16/12 at 7:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LBJ2 View Post

Ok so after some more research and a quick call to Panasonic, looks like the ISFccc settings are accessible via professional calibration only. (I had seen a couple of recommendations from various calibrator postings like Chad B's recommending ISF Day Mode for this TV)
Quote:
ISF is accessible using Controlcal. In ISF mode both Day or Night mode are the same, so it makes no differences to your settings what mode you use.
In the meantime, I also found another site willing to post their settings recommendations so I could compare with David Katzmaier's picture settings here:
http://forums.cnet.com/7723-19410_102-564711/panasonic-tc-p65vt50-picture-settings/?tag=StickyWin_1338818924521;createThreadPopup
These settings (by Thomas J. Norton, Hometheater.com) seem to achieve a better RGB Balance than Davi'd's settings http://www.hometheater.com/content/panasonic-tc-p65vt50-3d-plasma-hdtv-settings ( on the post calibration report posted anway) Oddly, they seem to be missing IRE 40, and 50 settings so I just left them at 0.

Katzmater's setting are real calibrated settings, as were Norton's settings I suspect are not.

Being ISF or THX certified doesn't mean a whole lot when it comes to how good they really are, what you want is somebody with good calibration software and hardware that has had a few years of hands on and has done many calibrations on the same model display as you have.

Also remember what IR stands for image retention, not image burn-in. Retention should go away if you care to have it gone, burn-in probably will not go away. Big difference.

ss
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