[cvdean]

Hello,


Been reading and learning a lot from the members here and need one final issue resolved before I pull the trigger on buying a Panny TH-42PHD6UY.


Since these models are hard to get and even harder to see in person, I’m interesting in understand more about the different “Modes†that are available, and more particular the HD6UY ability to handle SD, 4:3 content. In viewing other manufactures models, it is obvious that some do better jobs of “stretchingâ€, Panning, (or what ever term is) a SD 4:3 picture onto a 16:9 display and reducing the squished head/image. The Sampo for example does a very poor job. When watching ESPN Sports Center or any other picture with a talent in the center of the image, it is very squished.


How well does the Panny handle this? Since I can’t find a unit to demo, I will have to rely on comments from this forum to help me make my final decision on this display.


Your help is appreciated.

Chuck Dean

 

[steuert]

These units have four "modes" in which to view 4:3 pictures:


- NORMAL, which retains the 4:3 ratio, with black or gray sidebars;


- FULL, which widens the picture to fill the screen, but makes people look short and fat;


- ZOOM, which enlarges the picture without distortion, but cuts off the top and sides;


- JUSTIFIED, which expands the sides of the picture more than the center, so the screen is filled with less evident distortion, but people expand and contract as they move across the screen.


Many people find the Justified mode the best and use it for all their 4:3 viewing. After fooling around for several months, I settled on the Zoom setting, reducing picture size by supplementary controls until it just filled the width of the screen, and reducing vertical size proportionately. The result is an undistorted image with a couple inches missing from the top and the bottom, which I seldom notice.


Many CRT and RP sets, as well as other brands of plasma with 16:9 displays have similar adjustments. Maybe you could get an idea from looking at them how the Panasonic's work, although it usually takes a fair amount of viewing time before you can really determine what the best setting is for your own tastes.

 

[cvdean]

Thanks for the reply. These adjustments you mentioned, do they get saved, and available when switching between formats. For example, using an HDTV OTA receiver, 8PM watching a SD program using the adjustments you mentioned. At 9PM change channel to HD program, then at 10PM watch another SD program. Will the settings adjust to the picture format?


Also, do you have the ED or HD display and are you happy with it? If you had to do it over again, would you buy that display? Again, just trying to get all the information I can since actually seeing the HD version is so difficult. I want to make sure it’s the right display for me. It’s a lot of money to be dissatisfied.


Chuck Dean