The Official "PIO 4312/4304" Thread!!! - Page 6

Wow, that is really awesome, xmltok ! Is there anyway you can confirm this ?
Firstly , if there is a card slot , that will help put my concerns regarding expansion at rest . Secondly , if it is a PDA-5002 , that is great since it would support PAL OOTB
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pn..._35060,00.html

If it is not too much trouble , could you pl. check the back panel and confirm that there is an ES card slot . Alternatively, if you can confirm it is a PDA-5002 , that would be great too . The only wierd part is PDA-5002 comes with a DVI connection and I understand that the 4312 comes equipped with a HDMI connection.

Thanks .

I can definitly say that the 4312/4304 does NOT come with a PDA-5002 card. There is no DVI and there is no BNC connectors for composite video.

IIRC, someone on this (or another 4312) thread said that the 4312 had built in HDMI and VGA and used a PDA-5004 for S-Video, Composite, and Component. Looking at the 5004, I think it matches the input terminal configuration on the back of the 4312, but I'm not 100% sure - I can check on that when I get home. Also, there are no slots on the back of the 4312 where cards can be swapped - I beleive the 5004 card (if it is indeed a card and not built in) is in a slot coverred by the back panel, so you would have to open up the set to access it.

And since Pioneer does not advertise upgradable cards for this unit, I'm sure trying a different card in the slot (if it exists) would void the warrantee.

On the back for inputs 3 4 and 5

I know it sort of looks like one. It could be one or Pioneer could just have cloned the PCB layout for the 5004 onto whatever main board is in the 4312.

Has anyone opened up the back of the unit to confirm this?
Is there a real slot there with a real 5004?

More interesting - if there is, has anyone tried upgrading to any other blades?

If they have used the 5004 on the 4312 nothing could make me happier
That way I know for sure that my set can handle PAL signals , since that is what the product brochure for 5004 claims .

I've sent in a e-mail request for clarification to Pioneer support . Couldn't wait for the response and here's the conversation I had with what seemed like a "fairly knowledgeable" Customer Support person :
Q) Does the 4312 (re-badged 4304 available at Costco) support PAL video signals if I provide this using an external tuner/STB/DVD player,etc. ?
A) No (ouch!) It doesn't since this 4312 set is designed for consumer use in the US alone. Hence only NTSC video signals will be supported .

Q) Are there any ES card slots available on the 4312 ?
A) No. If you need this , you should try the 434-CMX (yeah thanks )

Q) I've heard that the 5002/5004 is loaded on this set . Is this true ?
A) No. That is mostly incorrect. If anything , it has been modified for consumer usage and no card has been used . I can transfer you to the Industrial section for more clarififcation (no thanks )

Of course , most of you might know this already but I thought I'll make this info. available anyway .

Oh well , looks like I'll need to upgrade to a DVI/HDMI switching receiver when they come out . Damn , its going to be tough convincing the wife

Thanks.

Yes, that is correct
Am hoping this helps those prospective buyers still in the decision-making process .

Having decided , for better or for worse , that Pio 4312 is the one for me , I started calling around . Unfortunately , there were none available in the area close to me . That is , if you exclude the display pieces .
So, Livermore Costco , it was ... They had 3 items in stock and now only 2
It was quite the drive 30-35 miles away but am hoping it was worth it .
The next closest one is in Redding/Fresno/Modesto ... take your pick , or u could pay the shipping charges and wait for a month !

If you want it , then go and get it now . In talking some of the other Costco warehouses , they all maintained that there none on order so it could mean that if they run out (incl. the display pieces) , then they may never get the 4312 again .

Of course , there is the possibility that there will be a better HD set that replaces it

... and now , I need to get me some Component cables and fix the grainy PQ . Hopefully , it doesn't stay as bad as it is now

I live in Southern California and the 2 closest Costco's to me are out, but did say that tv is an active part number and their systems show new shipments set to arrive in 1-2 weeks. I was talking to one of the employees at Costco and was told that because there is such limited space in the warehouse, they cannot carry all the part numbers at the same time. When the 43" Pioneers sold out, they were replaced with the 50". Now that the 50" is sold out, they will be bringing back the 43". Call your local costco and they will be able to check stock and future shipments at all the local costcos.

Sorry for taking so long. Here are my preliminary settings for Inputs 2 and 5. They are based on previous posts in this and other threads. I validated Input 5 with the THX Optimizer on the Incredibles DVD, but still need to run DVE on it. I am pretty happy with it, though. Input 2 still needs work - some content is excellent; some not as great. I am looking for other's Input 2 HDMI settings. I have NOT gone into the service menu and monkeyed with anything.

Anyways, here goes:
Input 2 - HDMI (HD STB)
Contrast +8
Brightness +5
Color 0
Tint 0
Sharpness -2
MPEG NR ON
DNR MID
CTI ON
COLOR TEMP MID
PURE CINEMA STANDARD

Input 5 - Component (DVD)
Contrast +10
Brightness -5
Color -3
Tint 0
Sharpness -2
MPEG NR ON
DNR MID
CTI ON
COLOR TEMP LOW
PURE CINEMA ADVANCED

All in all, I LOVE this display.

Walt

THEY'RE BACK!! AT LEAST AT THE COSTCO IN MARIETTA, GA.

DRAWING A CROWD TOO.

HAD ONE SET UP NEXT TO THE 37" AQOUS HD LCD.

BLEW ITS DOORS OFF!!

GET EM' WHILE YOU CAN.

KEN

Also available in Chicago!

Thanks Walt,
I plugged them in and I'll let you know how they work after I watch for a few days. I assume you keep your Energy Save mode on Standard?
The only thing that is a bit different in my setup is that everything is coming in on input 5(component) as I upconvert/switch :dvd recorder, dvd player prog scan, DTVtivoHD, through a Denon 2805. It probably is a compromise, but it looks very good all around and it makes it easy on the family. One day, I'll probably get curious with the HDMI. I saw a mid priced AVR by Yamaha has HDMI switching. Hmmm? Another mission in progress.

Particularly if you have an SA8300HD STB. I do, with Cox in Phoenix providing the service.

While watching the Masters today in HD (sort of), I monkeyed with these settings and made the following changes:

Changed Contrast to +2

Changed Brightness to +12

I like this better, for now. More detail in the blacks.

Well, I was so keen on seeing how the ISF settings reproduced in post #124 stacked up on my PDP 4304, I acted like a total idiot and made the service menu calibration changes for input 5 (component video) without noting down the factory defaults ... and now I have no idea how to get back to them!

If possible, could some kind soul please post the factory defaults for the 4304 (non-ISF-calibrated, that is)? I was planning on using the sample ISF settings as a starting point, and since every set is different, I'd like to have the option of experimenting with the settings without stepping way out of bounds. To make this as easy as possible, I have put together the attached instruction sheet: all you need to do is fill in the "____" fields ... I would be greatly indebted!

[NOTE: I am interested in the settings for only input 5, which is the one I futzed with ... I have seen xmltok's post (#30) on factory settings for the HDMI input (IN 2) already. I have also gone through every post in the "Costco Pio setting tweaks" thread and the "Pio at Costco" threads, to no avail.]

 

instr.txt 3.3984375k . file

For those of you who have purchased the Pio 4312 from Costco, I am curious to know how many of you are truly happy and impressed with your purchase. I am considering buying the set myself but I have read various mixed reviews in some the forums here on AVS. It sounds like some people really like it, and those that don't are very picky. I know that it won't have the same black levels as some DLPs, however I am more concerned with overall PQ (for both SD and HD). What is the general consensus for this Pio?

I am truly happy and impressed with it. And very happy I went with HD. The Masters in HD was stunning.

Ditto

Tony - Did you try those settings and play with them at all? Did you see my update for Input 2?

We were out of town all weekend, but I watched half or Apollo 13 on DVD last night and it looks very good, as did my first looks at Disc HD and HDnet. Input 2, I don't use because I switch everything through a denon AVR to component. Is your Energy Saving mode on standard. mode 1, 2 or 3?

I am very happy with it. I have tried a Samsung DLP, a Panny 42" ED Plasma, the Vizio 42" HD Plasma Costco had, and now the Pioneer 4312. Hands down for my viewing environment, 7 - 8" from the screen, in a well lit living room. This TV is the best of the bunch.

Yes, the lack of detail in blacks can be annoying, but for me it's only really noticeable in extremely dark scenes in movies/tv shows (i.e. scenes with almost no visible light sources). Which, are typically fairly rare. Yes, the Panny ED did a better job, but I saw Screen Door Effect and it drove me nuts. Yes, the Vizio was a little bit better but not nearly as crisp. Finally the DLP did do a little better job but viewing angles and Rainbow effect took that TV off the short list really quick. (FYI I thought DLP would be the answer for me due to features and price, but quickly discovered I was wrong).

I think the 4312 is one of the best reviewed plasma sets in this forum. WAY more positive then negatives. I can only remember a few members who opted out of the 4312. More often its they have gone through other models and ended up with this model. The Pio may cost more, but the detailed image is worth more over its competitors to me.

Also, since you would be buying the unit at Costco, you have the abilty to return without fear. My only wish was that I could have afforded the 50 inch version! Otherwise, 100% satisfied...

Steve

Its been less than a week back that I bought my Pio 4312 at Costco so I know the decisions you are faced with ... I think

So, yeah , the blacks are not as awesome as the Panny's but you know what when u watch it in your home i.e. isolated env. , you have only u'r perception to go on and for me, its not obvious most of the time . In some movies , for eg. Sky Captain , it seemed a bit unnatural but that seems like a rarity .

One piece of advice and no doubt u've read this elsewhere ... OOTB SD PQ is horrendous ! Yes, thats true ! So unless u set your expectation , u WILL be dissapointed initially .

Initially when I connected the TV , I could only go composite/S-video from my SD-cable box/SD-TIVO/DVD player to the TV . It sucked . The only way it improved is after changing the settings ... read Rich Harkness' post and the beginning of this thread for details .

When I changed the settings , used the HDMI & Component cable with progressive dvd-player , my Pio was doing wonders for me visually

So, yeah SD quality will suck initially. Also, after modifying the settings , some of the SD-channels will not look awesome , esp. if you compare it to the HD channels but all in all , am very happy with my 4312 so far .

It's simply superb in my setting. What really swayed us was seeing HD images on its 50" big brother at a friend's place. I didn't want to go for the 50" since I don't have the viewing distance for it, and the 43" works optimally for me, while also being the first set to come under my self-imposed price cap for one of this size. We were retiring our tired direct-view SD CRT, and thought it was high time to transition to HD (just trying to decide between E* and Comcast HD right now: will probably go with Comcast for now, since after the demise of Voom, the grape-vine is ripe with the rumor of a "significant" anouncement from E* on May 1).

Anyway, our primary reason for getting it was to view DVD movies (neither my wife nor I watch much TV, but that might change with the enticement of HD images, as we've experienced at friends' places). For DVDs through the component input, the enhancement in image quality was stunning. Though not side by side, I have checked out various DLP models, and the Panasonic 42" plasma EDTV that a lot of folks elsewhere in this forum love, and I must say I do like the Pioneer more. Having transitioned from a CRT, the shallow black level initially irked me (the one area where the Panasonic had a definite edge), but you know, I have gotten completely used to it, to the point where even LXG did not faze me last night: I still rejoiced in the incredible details, super smoothness and natural, just-correct color reproduction this set provides. Of course, it helps that it's in an extremely well-lit by day room, and we don't really view anything in very dark conditions even at night. I also paid a lot of attention (and time) to tweaking the set just so, with invaluable help from the "Rich's Method For Achieving A More Realistic Image" thread (sorry, being a newb, can't post URLs yet).

Speaking of which, Rich Harkness' thread on "Steps to a Better NTSC (Cable/Sat) Image On Your Plasma" contains very useful tips on battling with the initially disheartening (especially if you are stepping up from "average"-sized direct-view CRT sets) SD PQ. I now have it tweaked to the extent that digital SD cable signals (for the stronger channels at least) look just fine, and sometimes, better than they have any right to. I think this set has a particularly good and smooth scaler. Of course, be aware that I am an inveterate tweaker, and spent nights experimenting with all kinds of SD signals and settings before I was satisfied with the end results , but they were certainly worth it!

Bottom line: cannot beat the stellar PQ, top value for money, sheer good looks (even when turned off), and unbelievable overall deal when you throw in Costco's return policy. Get one before, as the title of this thread suggests, they go "bye bye" for real.

Thought I read somewhere on this thread (or one of the related 4312 threads) that the color temperature setting of "LOW" on this set most closely approximated 6500K ... but my eyes seem to say that the "MID" setting is the closest (which the manual seems to corroborate, sort of).

Anyone care to chime in with an opinion?

le-penseur - What are your settings for component and HDMI, if you're using it?

Walt

My settings for component video (I'm not using HDMI) on IN 5:

CONTRAST: +2
BRIGHTNESS: -12 (+3)
COLOR: -14 (+2)
TINT: -2
SHARPNESS: +1 (-1/+2)
MPEG NR: ON
DNR: MID
CTI: ON
COLOR TEMP.: MID
PURE CINEMA: ADVANCE (I am sending 480i to the display)
ENERGY SAVE: STANDARD

NOTE:

• The numbers in parentheses represent the range of delta adjustments to the set values, applied digitally (as in using my "digits", or fingers, on the remote control ), while viewing different program material.
• Yes, I know the contrast is quite low: I'm intentionally keeping it low for the first 100 hours (I think the black level will improve some when I can set it up to about 10 or 12, and reset the brightness ... I'll wait and see).
• The color might be set too low for your taste ... it works good for me for night viewing with good DVD transfers.
• As with every subjective matter, YMMV.

BTW, if possible, could I get your take on post #164 ?

le penseur,
I also did settle on the Mid color temp after looking at the pdp when I first got it. I tried the suggestions such as those recently posted by waltaz and others earlier. I found the black levels did improve some on the Low setting, but the other adjustments may also play a part.

le penseur and all!

i have aggregated the ISF calibration settings from this forum and noted the factory settings using le penseur's formatted document. now it is all in one place. enjoy!

--------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE:
Numbers before the slash are ISF Calibrated settings for COMPONENT INPUT #5 found on this forum. After the slash are original factory settings for the
same input. This should take < 15 minutes and really is quite easy.

SERVICE MENU:
Make sure the 4304 is first set to the desired input (INPUT 5 in my
case). With the 4304 in STANDBY, press DISPLAY on the remote (just
press, do not hold). Wait 3 seconds, then press LEFT, UP, LEFT, RIGHT
and POWER (on the remote). If done correctly, the 4304 turns on and the
INFORMATION page is displayed. Press MUTE to move through the top-level
menus (which are INFORMATION, FUNCTION CHECK, COMMON ADJ, OPTION,
INITIALIZE). Press the DOWN key to move through individual sub-menus.


1. Make sure that the INFORMATION screen shows that the settings are
for INPUT 5 (on the top right, it should show a field beginning with
"IN5-").
NOTE: While scrolling through the submenu settings in the following
steps (e.g., "RY GAIN <=> ..."), use the LEFT/RIGHT
buttons on your remote while scrolling through these fields,
to change the values (if that's what you want to do :-))!

2. Press MUTE to advance to the INDIVIDUAL ADJ. menu.
Cycle through the settings, by pressing DOWN:
RY GAIN <=> : 128/134
GY GAIN <=> : 117/122
BY GAIN <=> : 134/131

3. Press MUTE to advance to the COMMON ADJ. menu; this should show
RGB 1 (+) as the menu item (if it doesn't, UP/DOWN will cycle through
all the choices).
(a) On RGB 1 (+), hit SET to enter the sub menu (COMMON ADJ. will
change to show COMMON-RGB1)
Cycle through the settings, by pressing DOWN:
AD MAIN R GAIN <=> : 187/209
AD MAIN G GAIN <=> : 178/193
AD MAIN B GAIN <=> : 179/194
AD MAIN R OFFSET <=> : 129/127
AD MAIN G OFFSET <=> : 162/162
AD MAIN B OFFSET <=> : 128/128
Press SET to exit.
(b) Press DOWN to go to RGB 2 (+); press SET to enter the sub menu:

AD MAIN CONTRAST <=> : 081/081
Press SET to exit.
(c) Press DOWN to go to PANEL1 (+); press SET to enter the sub menu.
Cycle through the settings, by pressing DOWN (no changes to here):
X-SUS U1 <=> : 128/128
X-SUS U2 <=> : 129/129
X-SUS D1 <=> : 128/128
X-SUS D2 <=> : 128/128
Y-SUS U1 <=> : 128/128
Y-SUS U2 <=> : 129/129
Y-SUS D1 <=> : 128/128
Y-SUS D2 <=> : 128/128
Y-SUS D3 <=> : 128/128
Y-SUS D4 <=> : 128/128
VLT-SUS <=> : 107/107
VLT-OFS <=> : 157/157
Press SET to exit.
(d) Press DOWN to go to PANEL2 (+); press SET to enter the sub menu.
Cycle through the settings, by pressing DOWN:
PANEL R HIGH <=> : 247/241
PANEL G HIGH <=> : 248/249
PANEL B HIGH <=> : 256/256
PANEL R LOW <=> : 508/512
PANEL G LOW <=> : 511/512
PANEL B LOW <=> : 509/512
ABL LEVEL <=> : 117/123
Press SET to exit.

4. Switch unit off (i.e., place it in standby) to exit the service menu.

Thanks everyone for your reviews of the 4312 at Costco. I went ahead and purchased one last night so you can imagine how anxious I am to get it calibrated.

Gowens7228, thanks for your post with the ISF settings for the component input. When your component was calibrated though, what was it connected to? Since I'm planning on using the component for my satellite SD and HD content, will the same ISF settings work? Also, what about ISF settings for the HDMI input (to be used by my upconverting DVD player) and S-Video input (to be use by my Tivo box)?

Sachinh and le-penseur, I tried searching for your suggested posts but only found what was posted at the beginning of this forum.

If anyone else has any recommendations for how to configure the inputs I'd appreciate it.