Official Panasonic PX60/600 Tweaking, Settings, Issues, Technical Thread! - Page 3

Unfortunately there is only one coax antenna input, which can be set to either Antenna (OTA) or Cable.

If set to Cable, I know you can't input a digital HD channel like 10.1. If set to OTA I'm not too sure if it can tune to the channels above the normal broadcast band; like channel 620 for example.

The Vizio, which I just returned, did have two separate coax inputs; 1 for OTA and 1 for Cable.

Just got my 50PX60U today. Right out of the box hooked up component video cables from STB and coax in. Picture is great on both. STB is comcast HD DRV which doesn't have HDMI out. I have bought HDMI cables (from Monoprice), and am Switching to Verizon FIOS in 2 weeks so I'll see what differences there are between HDMI and Component inputs. First impression is just mode doesn't distort as much as I feared. It is certainly watchable. HD channels are awesome.

Need help. I am trying to do pc to TV with the 42-60u, will this work:

From CPU Base, DVI TO DVI/VGA adapter TO VGA to component cable TO Television

I am not getting any picture coming from my tv. Am I doing something wrong. Please help.

Or just VGA to component cable. If so, what should I set the computer too.

A llttle help. please[i]...Know the 50px60u doesn't have 2 coaxial inputs on the back...one for cable and 1 for ota hd...do you have to get the cable box from the cable company or can you get an adapter for the OTA antenna to input into the back...or is ther not a separate place to input this...hoping not to have to get a cable box...and get the free ota signal...my 50" arrives on Monday!!

I use just a $1 rabbit-ear antenna (not even UHF) and a little adapter and plug it into the coax input, set the input to Antenna (not Cable) and I get perfect HD off the local OTA HD channels.

Thanks very much, HomeTheatreMaven for the information. I've got an LG plasma that has the two RF inputs and it never occurred to me that anyone would manufactuer a unit these days that wouldn't allow reception of Cable & OTA in one shot...

Guess I'll stick with an LG which BTW makes a pretty fine product.

Thanks again !!!

Agreed. I don't understand why Panasonic didn't add another RF input to the PX60/600Us considering this was a common complaint with the PX50/500Us.

newbie question: I recently got my 60U. Its connected to HDTV box/DVR using HDMI cable and I also have a DVD connected using component cable. Everything works great, but

how do I make my TV audio pass through my DVD speakers... I tried connecting an audio cable from DVD to Panny but it doesnt do the trick.. what am I missing?

Any help is greatly accepted..

Is your DVD player a component of an HTiB (home theater in a box)? Which usually consists of a DVD player, receiver and speakers? Most people connect the sound out interface of their DVD player (e.g. coax or optical digital) directly to the receiver. Your TV will support analog (stereo) and optical digital audio out but generally these connections are used only when there is a direct cable connection to the TVs RF input.

I have a Panasonic SC-HT900 DVD home theater system. its basically a dvd player and 5 speakers.. DVD audio works great, but I am unable to make my cable TV audio come through these speakes.. I have a feeling it can be done but I am not doing something right..

Thanks!

What model STB do you have? What audio outputs does it provide? Is it connected to your receiver, TV or both?

I have a Motorola DVR DCT 6400 set-top box. It is connected to the 60U using HDMI cable.. it is not connected to my DVD player...

Yes you can. Just make sure your Mode is set to All. Then perform a channel scan. If your cable provider supplies unencrypted HD digital channels, the Panny will show them. In San Diego using Time Warner Cable with no STB (the cable connected directly to the TV) I get HD channels 6-1 (Fox), 8-1 (CBS), 10-1 (ABC), 15-1 & 15-2 (PBS) and 39-1 (NBC). These are the same HD channels you would be able to get OTA.

This means that in those localities in which the cable provider supplies local unencrypted HD digital channels you do not need an OTA antenna.

For the PX50Us and perhaps the PX60Us... there is no sound out from the TV with HDMI input. You will need to connect the STBs digital sound out interface (coax or optical) to your receiver and there should be a software/menu setting with the STB for Dolby Digital sound.

That was great!! I just took out my audio cable (stereo) from the TV and put it into my STB and.. now I have surround sound from TV!! Thanks a ton..

one last question.. is it a big quality jump from stereo audio cables to coax or optical..

again, I appreciate all your help!

Answering my own question. The answer is on page 39 of the manual: "When ATSC channel is selected, the output from the DIGITAL AUDIO OUT jack will be Dolby Digital [5.1]. When NTSC channel is selected, the output will be PCM."

From this I gather that SD channels output digital audio at 16/44.1, the Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) standard. Indeed, with SD channels my DAC locks the signal, makes the digital to analog conversion, and outputs an analog signal to my powered speakers.

HD channels, however, output digital audio encoded in Dolby Digital. Unfortunatley, to decode Dolby Digital I will need either an AV preamp processor or an AV receiver. Am I right?

Hi, I'm about to pull the trigger and buy my self one of these sets, I was wondering if anyone can tell me if using a A/V receiver with this set will I experience lip sync? I heard that there are a lot of issues with sound delays when used with an A/V receiver.

Thanks-

This can occur, but generally does not. here is a good explaination from the oppo.digital web site:

"Q: What causes Audio sync issue?

A: The Audio-sync error can be caused by several factors. The most common are video source (DVD mastering) and video buffering.

How the DVD was mastered will affect the overall playback. There are many DVDs which have been mastered incorrectly and suffer from slight audio-syncing not matter what player or display unit is used. The effect of de-syncing can be so negligible it is barely noticeable, to such an extreme that whole audio bits are audible before the according visual actions.

Another common type of Audio-sync errors is the cumulative effect of video buffering. In order to produce the best possible video quality, when the Faroudja chip in the DVD player performs de-interlacing and scaling, it may need to buffer some video frames to do motion analysis. This introduces a slight delay to the video. Usually this delay is not noticeable by the viewers. Certain displays also buffer video frames for many reasons - to scale up the 720p or 1080i video to the display's native pixel resolution, or to process the video in order to reduce the rainbow effect on some DLP displays, or even to do motion analysis and adaptation (duplicated effort but cannot be turned off). The buffering by displays introduces another video delay. Since normally audio is not delayed, the cumulative video delay becomes noticeable and causes the Audio-sync problem. The problem happens rarely and randomly because the time it takes the DVD player and the display to process the video depends on the complexity of the video scene.

As a rule of thumb, if the Audio-sync error occurs infrequently and at preset moments, it is a DVD mastering issue. When it occurs frequently and is not repeatable by rewinding, stopping and resuming playback, then there are several steps you can take to prevent instances of Audio-sync errors. See below.

Q: How to fix Audio-sync issue?

A: Audio syncs are DVD player, display device, and DVD dics dependent. From dvd player perspective, the solution to the Audio-sync error is to introduce an audio delay to compensate for video buffering. There are two ways to do this: 1. The OPDV971H has an audio delay feature. To access this feature, press the Setup button, then select Delay in the Audio tab. Audio delays are selectable from no delay to 50ms in 10ms intervals. 2. Some audio receivers can also adjust audio delays. The optimal audio delay depends on the display device so it can only be obtained by experimenting. For extreme cases, Stopping and Resuming DVD playback will stop Audio-sync errors"


Many digital as well as all HD channels output digital sound. You need an external receiver which at minimum decodes Dolby Digital EX / Pro-Logic II for 5.1 channel support, and there are 6.1/7.1 channel receivers that also support DTS-ES 6.1 and THX Certified 7.1 channel sound.


I'm not sure what you're asking here? The TV does not have digital sound (coax/optical) inputs. Those types of connections from your STB are intended to be used with an external 5.1/6.1/7.1 channel receiver. And yes, Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS-ES surround sound provide a BIG step up, really enhance the entire audio/visual experience.

Thanks optivity for being so helpful, I really appreciate it.

Just bought the 50" 60u. I need help with setting it up:

1. I own a four year old Yamaha AV receiver (RX-V795A) 5.1 dolby system
2. Buying an Oppo DVD (thanks to optivity for the heads up there)
3. Using Time Warner 8300HD cable box. It looks like TW supplied all the cables needed (no HDMI)to get started.
4. Downloaded Scientific Atlanta pdf for setting up various configurations.

I need help with the following:

1. In casual watching (a family room/kitchen configuration) I want to use the sound from the plasma. I'll use the surround 5.1 system for DVDs/sports/HBO. Is this a simple set-up? Or do I need to commit one or the other audio source?

2. In terms of PQ and SQ, should I consider different cables, such as optical for sound, or HDMI? (won't there be fewer cords with HDMI? A possible aesthetic consideration there). Given my investment, I don't mind spending for cables if there will be an improvement in quality.

3. I've never really worried about surge protectors--any specs/web sites I should consider?

Is there anything else I should know or consider?

How to unpack and set up your 50PX60U on the stand.

I wrote this, not because it's hard to do, but because I was paranoid about messing it up, it being my first expensive, large, tv. I looked for something like this here, and couldn't find it. Maybe someone else is doing the same thing.

This is a two person job. I guess if you're strong and have a wide reach, you can probably do it
alone, but I'd be worried about at some point rubbing up against the screen and scratching it with my
watch or belt buckle or something. Also, I found it easier to do all of this on the floor, not on the furniture I intended to put the tv on.

Open the top of the box. Make sure there are no obvious problems with the plasma
that you're going to have to call someone about. Probably best to leave it in the box
if you're going to have to return it.

Next, pop out the plastic handles. These keep the box together. By removing them, you should
be able to disassemble most of the top of the box with ease, and possibly without cutting anything. I figured this out after I had already taken a box cutter to it.

Now, your tv is sitting in some styrofoam pieces on top of another box. In this box is your stand. Remove the top pieces of styrofoam from the tv.

You and your friend should move the tv, keeping the lower styrofoam ends on (friction will keep them there). Look for the hand wells on the bottom of the tv. I didn't know they were there at this point, and they make moving the tv around much easier.


While your friend is watching the tv to make sure it stays upright (shouldn't be a problem, but you paid a lot for this thing), assemble the stand. The directions to assemble the stand are in the manual. Basically, you put the two poles into the outer holes present on each side--they're unidirectional, so they'll only go fully in the correct way. Put two screws in each pole, and set down the stand in front of the tv.

If you haven't already, it's time to remove all the packaging around the screen, and place the tv on the stand. It's pretty easy, just move slowly so you find the holes without scratching the finish on the tv.

Place two screws on each side through the poles into the tv, and then move the tv to the desired location.

Now enjoy!

My HD STB was installed this morning. It's Comcasts Motorola DCT-6200/2005. It only has a DVI out. I checked out Motorola's website and it doesn't look like they make an STB with HDMI out, but does anyone out there have a Comcast box with HDMI? So far there is no noticeable difference between PQ of the STB and the Panasonic's tuner. The other thing I don't like about this box is that SD channels are output at 480i and all HD channels are output at 1080i, even FOX, ABC, and ESPN. I don't see a way to adjust it.

slow-dog: Thanks. Nice Job.

Comcast Motorola DCT 6412 III has a hdmi output. It is a dvr box.

Question.... Not sure if this has been asked yet or not...

Can a Black Diamond stand be bought to replace the Silver Duck feet stand on the 42px60u?

They are hideous and stick out too far on my tv stand. I know they sell stands for the commerical model. I wonder if they are compatible with the consumer models.

Thanks for the help in advance.

I second that comment!! This should be saved somewhere. Maybe Bruzzi can add it to his FAQ post. We did discover (my son did, actually) that the plastic handles on the box popped out so all you have to do is lift the box up over the monitor. We did not discover the hand holds right away and my hand was not happy holding the unit from the bottom. (On our phuy models there are handles on the top.)

And this was Slow-Dog's first post!!!


...mike

O.k. Comcast came and installed the Moto 6412 DVR box for my son. Went over and we started hooking up equipment. Son will have to go by cable office to get HDMI cable, all installer had w. him was component.
Something is wrong. Picture looks bad to horrible on regular cable channels and not very good HD.
I am on the same cable system, but on the other side of town w. our phuy models. No problems for us.
Question: What should the aspect be on the monitor for watching HD? (On the phuy models, we can't adjust aspect on HD.) On the SD channels i need to convince him he will get used to the "just" mode.
I wonder if some setting is wrong in the cable box.
I set the picture settings as rec. by others further up in this thread.

...mike

If you're going to buy an OPPO OPDV971H, which I highly recommend, you will dedicate one HDMI connection to the DVD player and have another HDMI port available for your STB. I recommend you try both component and HDMI connections with the SA8300 to see which you like best. Time Warner enables the HDMI port on the SA8300s but their performance/support is "best effort" only. Also, buy your OPPO directly from oppo.digital and select the DVI --> HDMI cable that you will need to connect it to your TV. When you buy from OPPO, the cable is "free." When playing sound through an HDMI connection from the STB --> TV, I believe the TV has an HDMI auto sound setting to switch between analog and digital sound. On the settings menu of the STB you will need to select either HDMI sound to TV or digital for your receiver. If you use the component interface from the STB to the TV you can leave the sound set to digital.
Unfortunately, IMO... the speakers of the PX50U and perhaps PX60U series PDPs are pretty woeful. An HDMI connection won't add much to the sound quality of your PDP, but may provide you with a better picture. Unless you have a high-end 5.1 receiver I doubt you will hear any big difference in sound when using a digital coax rather than the optical connection from the STB --> receiver.
I recommend you have some form of surge protection for your PDP, but I haven't invested into anything special.
I presume you have read this:

Plasma Facts and Myths Panasonic Presents Advice From the Video Purist Perspective

I have a Motorola DCT6400 STB from RCN in NY... It has a HDMI outpput...

Is there a website that tells you what systems do this? I have comcast in Toms River, New Jersey.