Phd7 Not Sky Hd Compatible

[Oblomov]

Yesterday's news regarding Sky's decision to use HDMi as the output medium for its HDTV came as no surprise to me and I thought I had all bases covered when I organized a demo (and probable purchase) of a Panasonic PHD7 at AV Sales next week. The optional HDMi board allayed all my fears.

Not any more! Both the proposed formats are 50hz and, while the display will support 50hz formats with certain boards, the HDMi input only supports 720/60p and 1080/60i (source; official Panasonic brochure.)

To a complete novice like me this suggests that all the new 7th generation Panasonic displays will be incompatible with Sky HD, and probably nearly all the plasmas on the market. Am I correct or is my lack of technical knowledge causing me to bark up the wrong tree?

How reliable is the Sky information anyway?

[Ymegod]

I too would like somebody, MAW ?, to shed some light on the Sky announcement yesterday.
I had just about decided on that which I would buy and then Sky come along and throw a possible spanner in the works again.
Would anybody care to give me some idea of the screens that will properly display HDTV ? Or should I just give Sky a miss as they have had more than enough of my hard earned as it is.

Originally Posted by Ymegod

I too would like somebody, MAW ?, to shed some light on the Sky announcement yesterday.
I had just about decided on that which I would buy and then Sky come along and throw a possible spanner in the works again.
Would anybody care to give me some idea of the screens that will properly display HDTV ? Or should I just give Sky a miss as they have had more than enough of my hard earned as it is.

Panasonic better fix their HDMI and DVI cards pretty fast now, read my post about supported signals on these cards.

[peezee]

And as I mentioned in Lizzard's topic, it's not just Sky HD that's at stake here, but also HD-DVD / BluRay players which should appear next year and will most probably be setup the same way, i.e. HD video only available thru an HDCP protected digital output connection.

Therefore I don't think SkyHD is to blame for anything here, not to mention that they're probably just doing what they're being TOLD to do by the actual content providers to protect/control copying of the stuff they're broadcasting...

The one's that should be blamed here is Panasonic imho - no one else.

I would add to all those here that are "strongly suggesting" the purchase of a Panny screen that they should add a warning to their recommendation...

[Todda]

I was informed yesterday by Joe that the PHD7 with accept 720p via DVI.

If the panny HDMI board does not accept an HDMI signal of 720/50p, then it is not a true HDMI port. To label your product as HDMI, it has to accept certain signals - 720/50p being one of them.

[The Nightfly]

If the PHD7 will accept 50Hz does that mean the PW7 will also, given that they both use the same HDMI /DVI cards ?

Allan

[hornydragon]

HDMI card is P7 only IIRC and where does it say that there wont be a 60hz output from stb????
TBH its is far tooo soon to get definitive answers........... on any of this....

[peezee]

Europe HDTV is and will be at 50Hz, there's not a chance in hell it will change. At least this is how it will be produced (many networks already equipped) and broadcast.

Europe is not going to change their TV system because of Panasonic. There's a bunch of other manufacturers that have added 1080i50 support on their flat screens via DVI/HDMI (Hitachi, Pioneer, LG, Philips, NEC, ...) and 720p50 via DVI/HDMI (Pioneer, LG, NEC, ...).

One has to wonder what Panasonic's waiting for to do the same...

In fact I'd add Sony to this, they don't even bother include any digital connection on their highly priced screens...

I was informed yesterday by Joe that the PHD7 with accept 720p via DVI.

Todda, did Joe mention if that was 720p at 50Hz or 60Hz? I know it's true for 60Hz, but what about 50Hz? Remember, it's the exact same DVI input board than on the PW7/PWD7 we're talking about...

One other thing worth mentioning: 1080i50 and 720p50 are indeed supported by the PW7 displays... via VGA/YUV input (Sub-D15 or Component). This is what's on the TY-42TM6A board spec document (PDF file from Pana Japan site). Actually here's an abstract:



So the screens themselves (glass and driver electronics) _are_ able to deal with such signals. It's just the Panasonic's digital video input boards that refuse to, it seems...

Originally Posted by peezee

And as I mentioned in Lizzard's topic, it's not just Sky HD that's at stake here, but also HD-DVD / BluRay players which should appear next year and will most probably be setup the same way, i.e. HD video only available thru an HDCP protected digital output connection.

Therefore I don't think SkyHD is to blame for anything here, not to mention that they're probably just doing what they're being TOLD to do by the actual content providers to protect/control copying of the stuff they're broadcasting...

The one's that should be blamed here is Panasonic imho - no one else.

I would add to all those here that are "strongly suggesting" the purchase of a Panny screen that they should add a warning to their recommendation...

No i don't blame anyone except Panasonic, they are responsible for this.

What about Pioneer? are there any problems with that?

[peezee]

From what I've read from various posters on another forum, Pioneer's HDMI input does properly support all HD (and SD) formats, including therefore 720p50 and 1080i50 - tried and tested. It's been this way since the 434 series, i.e. more than a year ago...

[Leigh_1973]

Glad i havent bought yet! Time to take another look at the Pio!

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

ok: For a start you need to be aware that the Panasonc PDF of what their input boards accept it wrong. There are resolutions they do not specify as being ssupported that are.

Secondly I don't think anyone has an HDMI board yet. I am sure when Joe or Martin get hold of one they will test with a 720@50 output from a suitable device and will post back.

So until then ignore specs.....and wait for definative answers when the boards are in the field.

gORDON

Originally Posted by Gordon @ Convergent AV

ok: For a start you need to be aware that the Panasonc PDF of what their input boards accept it wrong. There are resolutions they do not specify as being ssupported that are.

Secondly I don't think anyone has an HDMI board yet. I am sure when Joe or Martin get hold of one they will test with a 720@50 output from a suitable device and will post back.

So until then ignore specs.....and wait for definative answers when the boards are in the field.

gORDON

750(720)/50p and 1125(1080)/50i are important video-timings to support, don't really understand why they would forget to mention that in the whitepaper PDF from Panasonic.

Originally Posted by Oblomov

Yesterday's news regarding Sky's decision to use HDMi as the output medium for its HDTV came as no surprise to me and I thought I had all bases covered when I organized a demo (and probable purchase) of a Panasonic PHD7 at AV Sales next week. The optional HDMi board allayed all my fears.

Not any more! Both the proposed formats are 50hz and, while the display will support 50hz formats with certain boards, the HDMi input only supports 720/60p and 1080/60i (source; official Panasonic brochure.)

To a complete novice like me this suggests that all the new 7th generation Panasonic displays will be incompatible with Sky HD, and probably nearly all the plasmas on the market. Am I correct or is my lack of technical knowledge causing me to bark up the wrong tree?

How reliable is the Sky information anyway?

True HDTV resolution according to 720p is 1280x720 and 1080i is 1920x1080.

The Panasonic TH-42PHD7 got a fixed panel with 1024x768 pixel, you loose 256 lines in the horizontal field when you want to watch 720p broadcasts, even worse with 1080i broadcasts, then you loose lines both at horizontal and vertical fields.

The best for 720p broadcast would be a 50" plasma like the upcoming Panny TH-50PHD7 or similar, Pioneer PDP-505 series are good as well.

It all comes down to cost, but that is the reality.

[johnski]

For a start you need to be aware that the Panasonc PDF of what their input boards accept it wrong. There are resolutions they do not specify as being ssupported that are.

Gordon,
Sorry to be a pain, but could you post the resolutions that the panasonic dvi board can support, i've got a panasonic pwd6 and would like to know(and i guess a lot of series 6 panny owners) if i will be ok with the dvi board for skyHD.

Thanks

John