AE700 Tweak Thread - Page 7

Rocktim, do you notice any macroblocking with your s97 using hdmi on your AE700 and if so to what degree? I read the long... long...long thread on the s97 under dvd players section but none of the 700 owners that tried the s97 mentioned if marcoblocking was an issue with their panny. I am very interested in using this player with my 700, thanks.

I currently use the Toshiba SD3960 via component. This player also has black level adjustments and can pass BTB and WTW according to secrets. I am wondering if i can get a sharper clearer image with the s97 upconverting via hdmi?

Reports earlier in this thread appear to indicate that the AE700's panels are mechanically fixed into position during assembly- i.e. they have no vernier screws to move the panels for adjustments. While I don't agree with this design choice (if true), I understand from a cost reducton point of view. This would be fine if their assembly robustness was up to par, guaranteeing panel convergence to "six sigma" manufacturing standards.

I would not tolerate a panel being off even one full pixel (half a pixel or less is my tolerance). If your red panel truly is off by more than one full pixel width, it sounds like a warranty call or product return is in order.

I have a 700 and a Momitsu DVD player. I just tried the THX optomizer test and it was impossible to make adjustments to see the 4 white boxes on the first test using HDMI. There is no problem make the adjustments using
the component input. I have used the Momitsu with other sources so I know the problem is not with it. I wonder if the same problem exists with the Panasonic 97S. If anyone has this combination and is using the HDMI
input would you try the THX test. It is available on many DVD's including Nemo.

Thanks

cecide,
Funny you asked... I also had a toshiba 3960.. the picture quality from the panny is amazing... much better than the Toshiba... I also read about the macroblocking... and searched the forum for days reading and looking at reviews.. etc.. and to be honest.. I don't think I have seen anything.. except maybe once.. during a night shot in the movie "Jaws" there was some noise for maybe a second.. and it was not significant... honestly.. there are so many tweak options ..actually it seems like there are more settings in the dvd player than the pj. and I do believe that the macroblocking is more apparent from different display devices... dvd @ 720p ( which I thought looked just a hair.. i mean small hair better than 1080i) is pretty close to hd.. and i have been watching a ton of hd movies and programming as I just got hd cable a few days ago.. I do still have an occasional white snow flash.. which is very brief.. and although it is not a big deal ... I am positive someone or panasonic will find a fix soon.. as far as macroblocking.. I guess I should check out some of those scenes that supposedly show macroblocking.. like monsters inc.. etc.. but I have had too much fun just kicking back and enjoying movies etc... this is my first pj and am having a ball. Almost pulled the trigger twice a few months ago on the panny ae500 and the z2.. I am glad I waited... so to answer your question.. yes the 97 puts out a much cleaner picture with tons of black level, noise reduction, sharpness controls than the toshiba.. rocktim

I found a partial workaround for the lack of discrete Power On/Power Off codes on the AE700. Basically, when the unit is off and you press Power, it comes on. But when it is on and you press Power, a Power Off menu pops up. You can enter OK to shut it down...or you can right arrow to CANCEL and press Enter. I made a "Power On" macro that hits power and then goes to CANCEL and hits Enter. When the PJ is off it comes on. When it is already on it stays on. Therefore this acts like a discrete Power On code.

I have a similar macro for Power Off except I go ahead and hit Enter at the OK. However for Power Off, there is no way to prevent the PJ from turning on if it is already off. As soon as it receives the power command, it will come on. However, the only time I am sending a Power Off macro is embedded in my System Off macro, so it is near 100% certain that the PJ is on when I activate the System Off macro.

Very important if you want to try this: when you teach the Power button to a learning remote, make sure to give the Panasonic remote button just the quickest push you can manage. If you hold it down, the learning remote will capture a repeating IR sequence that will punch right through the Power Off menu and shut you down automatically (just as it would if you press and hold the Power button manually). With just a quick push during the teaching process, you will capture a single IR burst that does not repeat. This is what you need to make a Power On macro that works.

Great info HMenke. I was concerned about lack of discrete codes for the AE700 but it sounds like you've discovered some nice workarounds.

One question I do have relating to the remote, is the sensitivity of the IR remote and receiver on the projector. I've never owned a projector before so I'm curious to know just how close the remote has to be to the receiver in order for it to work. i.e. Because you'd generally point a learning remote towards the front of the room to initiate a macro (i.e. turn on receiver / turn on DVD player / turn on projector) will the projector pick this up? Or does it require the remote to be pointed directly at the projector (or at least in it's general direction).

Any info would be most appreciated.

All my remotes actually work wonderfully bouncing off the projector screen/tv screen. Everyone just points at the screen when using a remote, but all the equipment behind the couch sees the IR bouncing back (don't have any problems with this method of operation).

Thanks for the info Ben. Didn't even consider it working that way. Screens do reflect light afterall so I guess they would work the same way with IR. That's very good news

The IR receiver on the AE700 is sensitive. I have been pointing its remote (and my learning remote) at the screen. The IR bounces off nicely and activates the PJ.

Cecede, I have a AE700 and am considering a 97S DVD player. I want to
use HDMI. If possible could you check to see if the combo passes the
THX video tests. I wonder if you can see the 4 white boxes on the first
test. The THX tests are on many videos including NEMo.

Thanks.

rwesty
I have the 97s and the 700 and yes ... it passes the thx video tests.. you have to play with the color outputs on the p7s.. you have many option.. rbg- rbg enhanced, yr pr br 4-4-4 or 4-2-2, rbg standard workd the best.. you also have a black level control... lighter or darker.. so depending on your video display you can match it up...I use the rbg enhanced and the darker setting.. The 4-4-4 setting worked too, but rbg-enhanced crushed blacks... I think you can download the 97s manual from panasonic.. I did and read through it before i bought it... it helped alot with my purchase.. Tim

rwesty
sorry ..correction from prev post.. i use rbg -standard.. not enhanced...

Thanks Rocktim for your fast reply. I just want to be sure you are using
the HDCP output on the 97 and the HDCP input on the 700.

I will order a 97S if it will work on HDCP.

Thanks again

oh yeah... i am using hdmi-hdmi cable...i assume you meant hdmi.. I am using the one that came with the 97s.. it is very short.. only 3 feet or so.. but I am lucky.. all of my gear is a storage shelf in back of the room and the panny is on top of it.. so I can use short run cables... I have not tried component @ 480i or 480p.. so I cannot comment... but hdmi @480p looked ok.. but you see a noticable increase in pq @ 720p or 1080i.. more detail ... appears to be sharper....etc..
bye the way I need to hook up 2 component devices (hdtv) so I need some type of switcher... something simple that does not degrade picture quality etc.. i would like to avoid upgrading my pioneer elite reciever... for a new one with hd component switching... are there any decent alternatives. for 100 -200$$ thanks Tim

Thanks Tim for your fast reply. I did mean HDMi. I just ordered the
97S it should arrive by the end of the week.

If you are looking for a low price receiver I would check out the Onkyo
502. It has great sound and is easy to use. You can still use the 97S
with HDMI and use the Onkyo for switching the sound and any other
device you might use such as a vcr or HDTV cable box using component
outputs. Ecost sells refurbished units at great prices. I have one and
it beats many much more expensive units.

Hey all,

Im moments away from firing up my panny 700 hooked upto my xbox via HDTV kit, just wanted some suggestions on the following tweaks?

1.Whats the best PIC MODE to be playing xbox games?

2.For DVDs, is cinema 1 the best option?

thanx

Although my convergence is very good, it appears as though the blue panel is out of focus when the other panels are in focus (I can see it in the service menu).

Is this normal? I'm guessing that if one panel is to be out of focus a little bit, it is best to be blue since we are less sensitive to it than green.

Video mode is best for me for XBox games. I turn down the color, brightness and contrast a bit in it though.

Cinema 1 is best for movies, but does require a bit of tweaking as out of the box it's a bit brownish in my opinion.

I found out someting today on my 5 day old AE700.

EXT options 2 - service meny

Press OSD for 5 sec (Now you are in EXT options 1) And then
Press PIC.SHIFT for 5 sec (Now you are in EXT options 2)

Then you get 4 new options. Also containing an iris option.

I will edit this reply as soon as we know what to do with it.

great find, exsodius

Rs232
Iris
Fan Check
FH mode

Iris and fan check seem "greyed out"
Any ideas on FH mode?

From my research it would seem the Panasonic AE700 uses Epson/Seiko L3D07H panels - exactly the same panels as were used in the AE500.

These are 1284x724 panels as specified by Epson here.

I might try a resolution of 1284x724 through DVI tonight, see if it actually displays 1:1.

I'm not sure that this qualifies as a tweak, but I wanted to offer it up as a solution for cleaning the lens.

The first time I tried cleaning the lens, I did it with a soft cloth. It seemed that all I managed to do was add more dust and stir it around some.

I then tried the "color Beseler" "Anti-Static Cloth". I use these at my studio to clean uncut negatives and thought it might work on the AE700 lens. Worked like a charm. Not only does it remove the dust, but it somehow gives it an antistatic property, which repels dust. In reading the literature that came with the cloth, it includes cleaning lenses as one of the things its intended to do.

They're also antistatic brushes that might be easier to use. I'm going to try that the next time I see that the lens needs cleaning.

In the visible light spectrum, the human eye has the most difficulty focusing at the blue end due to the refraction of light as it passes through the cornea and lens to "project" (had to say it... ) onto the retina. A very normal phenomenon. It was really noticible with my old CRT. Without seeing it I couldn't prove it - ask couple friends (with great eyesight!) to have a look and see what their impressions are-
Warren

I sat down with my 25hr 700 last night to do an Avia calibration. I had to pick some "picture" mode to tweak so I decided on Cinema 2 (that was my fave movie setting on my 500). Now, results are going to depend on which mode we all start tweaking from (I suppose I could've picked "natural" and gone from there but...).
FWIW, the 700 is about 10' away from a 106" 16x9 Da-Lite 1.2 gain screen in a completely black basement HT (entire front is blacked out with cloth over acustical treatment to minimize light bounce back to the screen).
My basic post-calibration settings were (Cinema 2):
Contrast +7
Bright -2
Color and Tint were perfect at 0
Sharpness -2
No tweaking of color temp and dynamic iris ON. Didn't mess around with grey scale in Advanced mode as I don't have the proper calibration equipment.
Anyone else done this and if so from what reference mode and what settings did u end up with?
Warren

PS: While I haven't done any flicker tweak yet I'm sad to say the localized VB is present on my 700 as it was on my 500 (which I expected given that they use the same panels) -will try to post to that screenshot thread later

(Repeated here from the big AE700 thread, since (a) it's tweak related and (b) it's REALLY IMPORTANT )

Originally posted by exsodius:

"And we now know that the 2 options in rs232 is 232 or D-sub. And D-sub is the vga input. So maybe this means that you could upgrade firmware with the vga input too. And thats a lot easier than opening the projector. "


Makes sense, since there are a lot of unused pins on a DB15 VGA connector. All you need for RS232 serial is transmit and receive and maybe a flow control data line.

Just whip up a DB9 to DB15 adapter once we know the pinouts on the AE700 DB15 VGA port.

Look at the traces on the circuit board that connect to the DB15 VGA connector- it may yield more clues.

Also, if someone is adept with an oscilloscope and/or voltmeter, they could select "RS232" in the EXT2 menu, then scope the pins not used by the R-G-B-H-V lines on the DB15 port to sniff out the serial data lines...

Here is a pinout table for a standard DB15 VGA port:
http://www.mycableshop.com/techarticles/VGA.htm

The EXT2 menu option prolly switches pins 4, 11, 12, and 15 from Monitor ID data lines to RS232 serial data lines. All that is required for RS232 communications is 4 lines (or less).

It would probably be safe to make a prototype adapter cable that taps these 4 pins. Using a simple terminal program, you could probably try all 16 combinations of pin connections and see if you get an ack in the terminal window.

Of course, we need to know the baud rate/ stop bits/ flow control parameters of the serial lines. These might be deduced from earlier Panasonic AE100-500 projectors.

DISCLAIMER- If you fry your AE700 and/or house and/or loved ones trying this, it's YOUR FAULT

P.S. We REALLY NEED the AE700 Service Manual! I am certain these issues would be described there...

PPS- I see a big aftermarket in DB15 to DB15/DB9 Y-breakout cables brewing, allowing simlutaneous VGA and serial port connection...

Since the dust filter slides out of the bottom of the AE700, I decided to make an access hole in my shelf. This means I can remove and clean the filter every 100 hours (per the manual) without disturbing the PJ alignment. Saves a lot of time and hassle by not having to re-align the PJ after every cleaning. See photo below.

More research-

RS232 DB9 pinouts:

http://www.zytrax.com/tech/layer_1/c..._rs232.htm#db9

I suspect that the four lines used/required are 2,3,4,7
Rd, Td, DTR, and RTS

How these might be mapped to the 4 Monitor ID pins is unknown.

Again, this is all speculation and educated guessing based on available evidence.

Nice research RGB!

I am doing some researh myself. I showed my girlfriend how i found EXT 2, and she said "too bad the iris were greyed out. Can't you try holding 2 buttons together as the same time or something?" Well then i remember all the codes on playstation. Press x-up-down-left etc. So this is what i am doing now I have tried turning iris off too. But can anyone help on this one. I mean try lot's of different stuff.

Thanks!

I have colorfacts AND a PTAE700. Has anybody run this unit through on this hardware yet? I'm thinking of giving it a shot tonight, but the PJ only has about 8 hours on it. Just so you folks think I'm being 'normal', per my usual behavior, I'd like to say that I completely disassembled the unit before I even plugged it in once.

I can also look at the pins on the HDMI connector the next time I take it apart, but that won't show much I suspect, it looked like a custom Panasonic chip on the HDMI connector, IIRC.

KBK

all riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight !!!