FAQ & RULES LINKS_ Plasma & Panasonic Plasma FAQ - Read First! - Page 42

Exactly. It's all about the lawyers.

I have a 42" Panasonic Plasma that's been resting on a standard TV base for two years. The whole thing is tucked in an alcove. I did secure the TV with the base strap, because I have to move the base from time to time when I want access to the TV's rear jacks, but never considered connecting it to the wall (for the same reason). It's plenty stable. I would not be at all concerned if I had a cabinet such as yours.

Of course, I don't have kids roughhousing near the set.

Do you not allow people to register for your board?

I am trying to find out the firmware on my new 40px60u. I went to Bruzzi's forum and found out that i need to press the vol+ on the remote and on the set for a few seconds together but when i do that nothing happens. Do i need to be on a cerain input or at a certain menu screen to do this or is there something else i need to do. thanks for the help

Ron

Do you, by any chance, have the internal speakers off on the plasma (your TV connected to a receiver for audio)?

I do. And I found that I had to turn the internal TV speakers on (temporarily) to bring up the menu showing the firmware version.

However, note that I have the prior year's model (the 50u). Might be the same issue though.

No. I am using the internal speakers for the time being. I wish i knew what the problem is.

You will see what they call "clay-face". Panasonic has a firmware update that will change the internal settings and make it more easy to use the TV settings to take the CF out.
http://www.pasctraining.panasonic.co...downloads1.asp


TH-42PX600U
TH-50PX600U
TH-58PX600U
PX600_GenX_V1-46.exe (456KB)
DG-Board EEPROM GenX Firmware


Caution:
This firmware overwrites the EEPROM on the DG board and has no effect on the tuner 1.46 9/1/2006 Poor picture details
Faces appear as "Clay Faces"
Excessive brightness with no details in the black level
Download the file to your local drive then double-click to extract the zipped files - Select a formatted SD card as the destination. To update the firmware, follow the instruction in this
firmware installtion guide Download

Is there any way to format an SD card if one doesn't own a camera that uses them?

I was not aware that Panasonic plasmas might have a software update, but it makes sense. How does the new software get uploaded into the unit? Is this only for plasmas with SD cards?

Thanks for the help.

I'm trying to figure out if the problem I am having is a Comcast issue or if it's an issue with my TH-42PX50U

3416 Intermittent Loss of HDMI Signal

I recently switched to a Motorola 3416 box from a 3412 (lost recordings, freezes etc) over the past two days the HDMI picture signal has dropped out. I still have audio but no picture. The only way to get the picture back on my Panasonic TH42PX-50U is to turn the power off to the set and then back on or poweroff/on the cable box.

I can still cycle thru the inputs however, it takes 3 presses of the tv/video button to get the set to switch to the next input. After those 3 presses switching to another input only takes 1 press.

A few days before this issue I could not turn the TV on with either the remote button or the button on the set, I unplugged the power cord and plugged it back in and that solved that issue.

Is this a Comcast DVR problem or is my Panny on the fritz? I dont think it's the TV as I can still switch inputs and get signals.

While I think my plasma looks great (my 42" 600U arrived just over a week ago), I am interested in applying these firmware updates to get the best picture possible. So, just to be clear, all I need to do is transfer the files I downloaded to a SD card (via my friend's digital camera), stick the SD card into the front slot and begin the firmware update? Can anyone confirm this because the last thing I want to do is screw up my tv.

Your input is much appreicated!

Where do you obtain the firmware from? I don't see it on the Panasonic website.

Scallica - a few posts above mine contains the link. By the way, the files will not transfer to an SD card through my friend's digital camera. I had to buy an adapter from Best Buy.

Before I make the firmware upgrade, I'd like to know if anyone has done this yet and can confirm that the results offer a significant improvement (Panny 42" 600U, Version 0164-7410). If so, how difficult is it to actually run the update once the card is in the front slot?

Thanks

So the only way to upgrade the firmware of a Panny plasma is via SD card?

Its not supposed to be public I think, but here it is:

http://www.pasctraining.panasonic.co...downloads1.asp

You can also call Panasonic and they will send you an SD card.

It is absurdly easy to do.

I just installed my 50px600u on my wall and I am in the break in phase. This clay face issue, is it a HD issue or do you see it also with a upconverted DVD. I think I might be seing this issue off a dvd, but it is not every face, but on Ultraviolet, she does have that "soft" look in the face that lacks small details. The other faces are fine. Sorry if this is a new question, I am new to this forum and HD. I just graduated from a 27" crt.

posted this in another thread, but i didn't get a reply:

does anyone know if the stands for the consumer displays are compatible with the commercial displays? specifically the 42" 9uk.

I am not an expert but do you see the same on different DVDs, I remember watching Ultravilet on my crt and it seams that this movie looks very animated in nature. I have 9uk and dvds form my progessive player look really nice.

I tried to read as much of this thread as possible but I did not find the answer I was looking for, so here it goes.

I have the TH-42PX50U, it is set up with my HD satellite receiver ( Bell Expressview ) for those of you not familiar with this, it is the Canadian equivalent of your Dishnet/Directv. Anyway, the HD Bell receiver allows for either 480i, 480P, 720p, 1080i, (no native/passthrough) to be chosen and than to be output to the TV. I have the HD satellite receiver set-up to outut 1080i for now.
Assuming that Bell Expressview is not changing the signals coming in from the broadcasters NBC 1080i, ABC 720p etc... (which has been a contraversy on many Canadian Forums that all Bell signals are changed to 720p....) what setting would you recomend, 720P or 1080i ??

The reason I ask this is that this Panny TH-42PX50U is a 768 progressive scan display, correct ? According to the manual Pg # 12, it is capable of displaying the following 480i, 480P, 720p, 1080i, but this note on pg # 13 is throwing me off, it reads as follows: "720P signals will be converted to 1080i format and output to the display."
Why would a 768p native set be converting the 720p signal to a 1080i. Is it not more work for the set to take a 720P signal, interlace it to 1080i, (unnecessary step) than to just leave the 720P signal and process it to 768p?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks in advance

Paul.

This comes up from time to time. The consensus seems to be that Panasonic Plasmas usually look best with 1080i input. Even the ED's do.


That statement in the manual initiated quite a lively debate here at one time.

Some took the position that it was little more than a typo, and should be ignored. Others, like me, observed that previous Panasonic plasmas did not accept external 720p input (and took a marketing hit because of it), so they may have merely made a "patch" to permit acceptance of 720p signals without having to redesign any other circuitry, which was based on processing 1080i signals.

It got heated, but I don't know that anyone on either side was persuaded by the other's reasoning. Take your pick.

It's been argued that scaling is scaling (especially in the digital realm), so it doesn't matter if the conversion is from 720 or 1080 to 768. Unlike analog, degradation is not proportionate to the amount of change. It's hard to imagine that the set actually interlaces a progressive signal again, since plasmas are inherently progressive and de-interlacing is not a simple process, although I suppose it's possible for some obscure reason.

During the aforementioned debate, someone said the phrase you quoted was exorcised from latter editions of the manual (presumably the U.S. version).

I heard that 720p was better, because of the lack of 3:2 pulldown for 1080i.

Also, page 42 of the current manual includes 720p as a valid input. The manual is available on Panny's website also.

His is the previous model, and he was quoting the manual for that.

I wasn't trying to imply that 720p wasn't a valid input, only pointing out that most people on the forum seem to prefer 1080i. They are both valid inputs for the 50 series or later. (I guess I may have missed it, but I'd never seen a confirmation that 1080i actually lacks 3:2 pulldown, although I know it's been discussed.)

Of course, the best thing for anyone to do is try different settings and see which he/she likes better, assuming they can see any significant difference (many don't).

Thanks Bill & Macfan424,
I just looked at (Pg #45 on my owner manual) and it seems to confirm that it accepts the following:

Signal name H- Freq(lHz) V-Freq(lHz) COMPONENT HDMI
1 525 (480) /60i 15.73 59.94 ∗ ∗
2 525 (480) /60p 31.47 59.94 ∗ ∗
3 750 (720) /60p 45.00 59.94 ∗ ∗
4 1,125 (1,080) /60i 33.75 59.94 ∗ ∗

You download the firmware update that would pertain to the problem described on the firmware site. You would insert a SD reader/writer http://cgi.*********/Slim-USB-2-0-Me...em300056637734 Type in the well known online auction name and dot com in the blank area of the url.
Into your USB port with a blank SD card in it. Then you go to "my computer" and you will see the reader as a external hard drive. You send/drag the files to it. You then slip the card into the SD slot in the TV and follow the short directions on the screen. Each problem has it's own firmware update and has to be loaded separately. You can also call Panasonic at 1-888-777-7134 for a card already formatted that you use and send back to them for no fee.

I guess my dumb question is whether software updates exist for Panny plasmas that do not have SD cards? Of course I have no idea how the update would be applied without a USB port or SD slot, but maybe there is something I had not thought of.

The USB port would be on the back-side of your computer. The SD slot would be under the front "flip down panel" on the PX60's and in the back on most others labled "Service Only" slot. The card would be inserted with the lable facing you. The rest would be on-screen prompts telling you what to do next....very little other than pulling the power cord on the TV at the end of instillation.

If your TV is listed here: http://www.pasctraining.panasonic.co...downloads1.asp

Then you have an update.

So my 2 year old took a crayon to the front glass on my TH-42PHD5UY and its' replacement will cost me more than the cost of a new plasma. It remains watch-able and while the crayon wiped off effectively, it took the anti reflective coating off the front glass.

Your ideas are welcome - anyone know where remaining stocks of 4 year old stock of front glass available at a steep discount?

Yikes! as a owner of 2 plasmas and a 2 year old that is my worst nightmare. How did you wipe of the crayon though, surely there must be a way to wipe it carefully (or is the coating that sensitive?). I would have taken an ice pack, put it on the crayon marks (making sure not to get them wet), then they might have come off with minimal (gentle) coaxing with a fingernail or something. Those are the instructions for removing crayon/gum from my hardwood floor at least. I do not allow crayons in my family and media rooms ... learned that the hard way, after the walls got all marked up!

Any updates? I can't get to either

I recently purchased the Panasonic 42" 600U. Can anyone tell me if this model has any sort of pixel shifting or "screen wipe" to help reduce burn-in? I haven't had any problems related to burn-in yet, but I'm also having a hard time finding any information regarding such anti-burn-in options in the manual or in the TV's menu. Thanks!