Forcing 16:9 on Panasonic CT-27HL14

Hello, new member here. Sorry for a new thread but I found a similar topic after a search and the thread was locked.

I picked up this TV for $20 off craigslist. It works great. I only wanted it for some retro gaming on the PlayStation 2, for a few titles that can do 480p. It's a 27" 4:3 that does 480p and 1080i. My problem is it won't allow me to select 16:9 while in 480p mode on the component inputs. However, in service mode, it defaults to 16:9. Odd.

Is there a way for me to force it to stay in 16:9 while in service mode, so it stays that way once I exit service mode? In other words, what settings do I need to adjust in SM to force it into 16:9 all the time?

No. When the tv receives 480p over the component input, the option to change aspect ratio is grayed out in the user menu. It's 4:3 only. However, in service mode, it defaults to 16:9. I'd like to force it to stay that way.

The dumb thing is aspect ratio can only be changed when a 1080i signal is received. Why we can't change it for 480p, I don't know, especially when it defaults to 16:9 in service mode.

I suppose could play games while in service mode but don't want to see numbers overlaying the screen all the time. I thought maybe there was a service menu item I could set to keep it in 16:9 all the time.

I'll ask this again in case anyone new has been lurking around.

-Panasonic CT-27HL14
-4:3 screen
-480p only displays in 4:3 mode. Regular menu will not allow me to change to 16:9.
-Service mode does allow me to change to 16:9
-When I exit SM, aspect reverts back to 4:3

I'd like to know if there is any setting in SM I can change to keep it in 16:9 when I exit SM. Why Panasonic's engineers thought it was unnecessary for users to switch aspect ratios while viewing 480 proscan content is beyond me. Even stranger is when you go into service mode while viewing a 480p source, it defaults to 16:9. If it's okay in SM, why not in regular mode?

All I want to do is watch 480p at 16:9. The regular menu won't allow me to do that, while service mode does. I'd use the tv while in service mode but then I have that red CHK and line of numbers on all the time, not to mention the dangers in making an unwanted adjustment.

Have the feeling I'm asking a question with no answer. See a 30" widescreen Panny CRT on CL nearby. Maybe I should just go for that if I want 16:9 so bad.

You know, I had the same idea but when the set is getting 480p over the component jacks all of the geometry settings are greyed out in service mode. In fact, just about everything is greyed out. I can't change a thing. All that stuff is available with 1080i, but not 480p. Very frustrating.

The good news is, I've adjusted the 1080i geometry to near perfection. It was stretched vertically, off-center, and had about 1.5 inches of overscan before. Looks ace now.

I use this set exclusively for gaming. I have a 22" Samsung LCD HDTV that I use to play on, but I use that as a PC monitor now. I wanted a bigger screen. I mostly play racing games with a force feedback wheel. I sit an arm's length away from the screen. I tried a 32" LCD which was too big. Then I tried a 26" 1080p which was just about right, but I could see the pixels as close as I sit. LCD/LEDs above 24" as close as I sit have images that look like clolored sand to me, because of the pixels.

That's why I prefer CRT tech. The image size at 1080i w/ horizontal black bars on this Panny is just about 25" diagonal. I think it's the perfect size for as close as I sit. I think the lighting in games looks more natural on a CRT. So I checked out craigslist to see what CRT HDTV's were around and found what I have now.

The Xbox 360 looks great. I set it to output 1080i-job done. Same with the PS2 and GT4. Set GT4 to 1080i in the menu, and we're gold. The problem is the PS3. It won't upscale 720p games for me, and the tv won't accept a 720p signal. I only have 1080i selected in the PS3's setting but it will default to 480i/p with games that only support up to 720p. I do have a few games that support 1080i and they look as good as the 360.

Pretty happy with the set, just frustrated at the anti 16:9 for 480p attitude.

It's pretty simple for my particular set. It's the same procedure for most Panny CRT sets built after 1996, except there is one thing I'm not able to do that I'll touch on later. Here's the exact procedure I use:

-In user setup menu, set antenna to Cable
-Set timer to 30, then exit out of user menu
-On the remote, press 124
-On the remote, press Vol. to zero
-On the set, press volume to zero
-A red CHK with numbers next to it should show up at the top of screen
-On the remote, change input (TV/VIDEO button) to component (or whichever input you want to change settings for)
-Make sure you have the correct input at the correct resolution you want to change
-On the remote, press power button
-You should now see an alphabet soup of letters they call the service menu.
-On the remote, use the CH and VOL as directional buttons to navigate up/down and left/right through the settings
-Now, don't do anything else until you have what you need to write down the settings before you change them
-On the remote, press the Action button to enter a setting
-Write down what you see, specifically the 2 numbers/letters on the right
-On the remote, change the value with the VOL up/down buttons
-On the remote, press the Action button to lock in the setting and return to the service menu
-On the remote, press power button to get the red CHK to show up again
-On the set, press power button to turn off tv and get out of SM

Now, what doesn't work for me according to the proper procedure I've read about is when that red CHK shows up they say I should bring up different menus by pressing the power button on the remote. All I get is one menu. Pressing power keeps going back and forth from the red CHK to the same menu. Maybe that's why nearly all the stuff for 480p is greyed out?

I don't have anything connected to any jacks but the component. However, if I leave it on channel 124, the backround is snow, and the red CHK is very hard to see, but after pressing power on the remote I can see the menu. Res is 480i and I can adjust just about anything. I don't have an accurate count but it's gotta be close to 2 dozen parameters, from sound stuff like upper and lower freq. to the clock frequency, whatever that is. I can change color cuts and geometry too..

It's the same for the composite inputs. 480i and nothing is greyed out.

For the component inputs, parameters for 480i and 480p are mostly greyed out. It does let me change aspect ratio though, why it won't let me change it out of SM, I don't know. There's a couple DAF settings I can change but I don't see any difference when I do. There's also an EEP thing I can change, ALL - ADJ - or FIX. I'll admit I'm scared to mess with that. EEP is short for EEPROM, right? I worry I might screw something up major messing with that. It's set to ALL right now.

1080i over component lets me change just about everything too, except for the sound and clock stuff.

I really feel bad for your situation. I hate it when you keep seeing stuff on the net that works for all these other people who have sets over a ten year span yet you have the one set where none of that works for you. It stinks.

I don't get the need for this service mode garbage anyway. Any PC monitor I've ever used allowed me to adjust geometry and stuff from the user menu. And things aren't labeled goofy either. TV engineers must be a subgroup of extreme nerdism.

The manual clearly states that aspect ratio cannot be selected for 480p sources, so it's not like Panny was deceiving anyone. I'm just puzzled why AR is selectable in SM. Doesn't really matter anymore. Now that I have 1080i dialed in, I play all the games I can at that res. For the couple I had for the PS3 that don't support 1080i, to hell with them.

I almost nabbed a tv like yours. Same model in excellent shape. There were 2 ads on CL for it a 2 months ago. One was nearby posted for a month, and the other was 50 miles to the south, posted for 1 week. They were both worded exactly and had the same pictures. One line was different: The older ad for the set nearby said "I'm selling it because I'm moving and it's too heavy to take along". He wanted $100. The newer ad for the set 50 miles away was missing the moving line and the price was reduced to $75. Obviously they were overlapping ads, pre and post move.

I though hard about it but I had a 32" LED and as close as I sit, it was too big. Gave me bugeyes. What would a 34 do? I'd go blind. And 200 frikken pounds!!!!!! My 27 inch is 100 and that's plenty. I can handle that myself but bolt 2 of them together? Anybody I know that could help move it already has a bad back.

Still feel like I let one go. Was too big and heavy but still a gem. Bet I could have gotten it for $50 if I had seen the first ad sooner. I'd be cross-eyed and in traction, but.........

Are all these SM codes listed here at AVS? Might be one that works better for you? http://www.riddledtv.com/forums/panasonic-service-menu-codes-plasma-lcd-crt-rptv-t287.html

Also, this is what the SM looks like on my tv. Some stuff is greyed out depending on input. like all of the geometry stuff (HDEF,VDEF) when it's getting 480p over component. One line missing from the pic is the EEP line. By pressing power on the remote I go back and forth from this to the red CHK. This isn't my pic, it's from keohi.com


Edited by Heavyset - 4/7/13 at 7:37pm

Glad you found a method that works! If you like that then you'll love this: http://www.keohi.com/keohihdtv/brandspecific/panasonic/panasonic_alignment_ct36hx41.html

Pretty much explains them all. It's all silly though, isn't it? Simple icons on a PC crt monitor menu allow us to do what we want, but for tvs you need your Dick Tracy decoder ring.

I'll slide this in here since it's my thread. I scored a Panasonic CT-30WX54 off craigslist. It's in excellent condition inside and out. Pulled the cover to clean dust from inside but there was hardly any. Manufactured Sept. 2004 but looks new.

Geometry is good as is. Centered and no bowing or waves. Only about an inch overscan all around. no need to adjust that at all. I didn't mind the black bars in 1080i mode on the 27", but now I have a true wide screen with none at all. I'll hang on to the 27" as a back up.

Got the 27" for $20 and now this 30" for $70. Dude listed it for a month at $110 then dropped it to $90 recently. Talked him down another $20. 2 TVs in 4 months for $90. Gotta love people tired of moving the big heavy beast one too many times and giving in to the flat panels.

No ATSC tuner, but it does have PiP. Fat lot of good that does me because I only use it for gaming.

The 4:3 27" has a taller screen (22W x 16.5H) so naturally its 4:3 image is bigger than the 16:9 30" (26.5W x 15.25H). I only use 1080i for the games so of course the 1080i image on the 16:9 30" is bigger than the same on the 27". The image on the 27" is about 24" diag. with black bars top and bottom.

This SONY is nearby but I've sent 3 emails and they haven't answered yet. Looks like one of the coveted models. Not as interested anymore now that I've got the 30" Panny. http://lancaster.craigslist.org/zip/3700821099.html