I'm not thrilled with the blacks on my new PN58A550. In a dark room, a movie credit roll looks more like white on dark grey. I know I can't get black like the frame of the set, but I feel the blacks look like an LCD set when you look at it of axis. Is this the nature of plasmas? Have I just been watch Sony crt TV's too long? Also, what number can I start with to set it up? Thanks
Trying to get deeper black from PN58A550
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Samsung isn't known for their black levels. Panasonic, and especially Pioneer, have deeper blacks. Nothing you can do about it.
Wow Prestige is a helpful fellow!
While he is right about Sammys not being the black level king in plasmas they don't suck if set up properly. I'd put my 650 up to any Panasonic the difference is so minute it's a non issue.
Nothing not even Pioneers can rival a good CRT yet...I had a fantastic Hitachi RPTV CRT so I know where your coming from.
So
Have there been any movies that the blacks were acceptable?
Have you made sure that you have at least checked settings on your DVD and or Blu-Ray player?
Are we talking DVDs? Blu-Ray? Broadcast?
What have you tried so far?
Have you tried any of the settings in the 550 owners forum?
While he is right about Sammys not being the black level king in plasmas they don't suck if set up properly. I'd put my 650 up to any Panasonic the difference is so minute it's a non issue.
Nothing not even Pioneers can rival a good CRT yet...I had a fantastic Hitachi RPTV CRT so I know where your coming from.
So
Have there been any movies that the blacks were acceptable?
Have you made sure that you have at least checked settings on your DVD and or Blu-Ray player?
Are we talking DVDs? Blu-Ray? Broadcast?
What have you tried so far?
Have you tried any of the settings in the 550 owners forum?
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But he's right, there's not really anything you can do about it. Make sure your brightness isn't set too high. If it isn't, the black levels are what they are.
Panasonics have significantly better blacks. Pioneers have hugely better blacks.
Panasonics have significantly better blacks. Pioneers have hugely better blacks.
My experience is that the black level on my Samsung PN50A550 seemed superior to the black level on my Panasonic 50PZ800U. The Sammy was superior to the Panny in detail, depth, and color reproduction. I'm waiting for a replacement for the Sammy. It had hardware issues that led me to return it.
my pn58a550 has excellent blacks. you have to set it up right. setting it on warm 1 or 2 is your first mistake. set it to normal, standard picture, gamma 0. there are some other settings in "detailed settings" that are crucial to getting great blacks, like dynamic contrast, but i'm not in front of my tv. p.m. me, i'll write my settings down, and have everything for you.
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my pn58a550 has excellent blacks. you have to set it up right. setting it on warm 1 or 2 is your first mistake. set it to normal, standard picture, gamma 0. there are some other settings in "detailed settings" that are crucial to getting great blacks, like dynamic contrast, but i'm not in front of my tv. p.m. me, i'll write my settings down, and have everything for you.
'
That's not going to do anything. Color temperature has nothing to do with the sets native black level. He's not talking about black detail he's talking about the pure black level output. As others have stated and tests have proved, Panasonic has deeper blacks, followed by Kuro which is the current black level champ of plasma.
If you're not happy with the blacks of the Samsung now you are never going to be. You might try returning it for the Panasonic 58pz800u which can be had for about the same price. You could also pay $1000 more and get the 60" Kuro, but if that's not in your budget I don't really know what to tell you. There will eventually be absolute black levels but it's not here yet.
That's not going to do anything. Color temperature has nothing to do with the sets native black level. He's not talking about black detail he's talking about the pure black level output. As others have stated and tests have proved, Panasonic has deeper blacks, followed by Kuro which is the current black level champ of plasma.
If you're not happy with the blacks of the Samsung now you are never going to be. You might try returning it for the Panasonic 58pz800u which can be had for about the same price. You could also pay $1000 more and get the 60" Kuro, but if that's not in your budget I don't really know what to tell you. There will eventually be absolute black levels but it's not here yet.
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So nobody bothered to think "Hmm, maybe he simply has Brightness turned up too high.", but instead jumped directly to the brand war? "Oh, it's a Samsung! That must be the problem!".
Jesus.
Okay, tadtv. You have 1 post so I have no idea your skill level. First suspect is of course Brightness (that horribly named parameter that actually controls black level). Put on one of your credit screens again and turn your Brightness down. There should be a point where turning it down doesn't change the color of black anymore, that being the point where you went too far.
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Bring Brightness back up to the point where clicking it up one notch shows a noticeable shift to a lighter shade of black, then drop down one notch again.
How does it look now? If it is still too light, then yeah, you're unhappy with the panel's black level. If it's a hell of a lot better, then you were just unhappy with the display's out of the box software settings.
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Next step. Go flip through your DVDs and find one that is THX mastered and therefore has the THX Optimizer on it. It's free, as you probably already have it in your home.
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Run that and follow it's on screen directions. Yes, there are better calibration discs, which everyone here is about to tell you, but this will get you 90% of the way there in 5 minutes.
Jesus.
Okay, tadtv. You have 1 post so I have no idea your skill level. First suspect is of course Brightness (that horribly named parameter that actually controls black level). Put on one of your credit screens again and turn your Brightness down. There should be a point where turning it down doesn't change the color of black anymore, that being the point where you went too far.
How does it look now? If it is still too light, then yeah, you're unhappy with the panel's black level. If it's a hell of a lot better, then you were just unhappy with the display's out of the box software settings.
Next step. Go flip through your DVDs and find one that is THX mastered and therefore has the THX Optimizer on it. It's free, as you probably already have it in your home.
so your are saying that his settings have nothing to do with his black levels? i think not. all im saying is that i can help him get the best blacks attainable. also the samsung has much better red, blue, greens, and a much brighter picture than the panasonic.
so your are saying that his settings have nothing to do with his black levels? i think not. all im saying is that i can help him get the best blacks attainable. also the samsung has much better red, blue, greens, and a much brighter picture than the panasonic.
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