[Nymins]

Originally Posted by Monarch08

Probably the X10 yea, if they decided you did have a problem, your warranty probably wouldn't start again though

Wouldn't mind too much about the warranty if the TV looked great.

You say "if they decided", would that mean that they could just say, "thats what the set looks like, tough luck." Which come to think of it could be likely, so what would be the best way to show them the problem?

[late8]

Originally Posted by Nymins

What would happen if i took my PX80 back to the store now since they aren't selling it anymore?

Im pretty disappointed with the blacks on the PX80 as im sure Monarch would know since i have compared it to his LG plasma. They looks completely grey in a dark room and even with bias lighting behind the TV they still look grey. Its setup correctly using DVE Blu-ray, so i dunno what the problem could be other than internal.

I only got the set in February from House of Fraser in Belfast, it came with the 5 year warranty too, so what would happen if i asked for a replacement? Would they have to give me one of similar value, ala the X10?

I must admit that there's only a certain point where blacks look good... around dusk. During the day the screen is grey/green and at night the blacks are dark grey if in a dark room.

Check you dont have Brightness too high... to do this switch to a blank black channel (not a unused AV) or get a dark movie with bars. If the brightness is to high you will see sparkles of green or solid grey on the jet black areas (widescreen movie bars). Move your brightness to 50% and work from there.. brightness should be around 32clicks right from absolute zero (50%) but some inputs require a tad more or less.

Since day one however I have been VERY disappointed with motion. It was marginally better than my 4 year old samsung as there was no skin wobble or smear. However, fast scrolling writing blurs and phosphor trails are a problem.

TBH my next TV wont be a Plasma as I have seen the same on them all. The latest LCD's are very good indeed.

[Monarch]

I have better blacks that Nymins has in the evening (based on the pictures), blacks look blacker if there is some light because it's easier to see the greyness in properly dark conditions, but they're still pretty black, not very grey.

I suppose it depends what house of fraser will do to stop you from getting another TV out of them, it was less than 6 months ago so as a store it's their job to prove it's not a fault, if it goes beyond 6 months you have to prove that it's not right, which would be more difficult.

[Nymins]

Originally Posted by Monarch08

I have better blacks that Nymins has in the evening (based on the pictures), blacks look blacker if there is some light because it's easier to see the greyness in properly dark conditions, but they're still pretty black, not very grey.

I suppose it depends what house of fraser will do to stop you from getting another TV out of them, it was less than 6 months ago so as a store it's their job to prove it's not a fault, if it goes beyond 6 months you have to prove that it's not right, which would be more difficult.

I see, kinda sucks since im going on hold this saturday for two weeks, so ill have to deal with it after, but i may give it a shot.

It could just be me that was expecting more from the blacks, but looking back on my old Samsung LE40M86BD LCD TV, the black bars in movies were always jet black and the blacks in general were really good from what i remember, its just it had terrible motion blur issues that i couldn't stand.

The blacks on the PX80 look fine if i have a corner lamp turned on, but its distracting when watching films cause I and im sure most people do prefer to watch them with the lights off like the in cinema.

[Monarch]

It should never be watched in complete darkness, projectors are the only things which really work in complete darkness, you do get a degree of bleeding and things like that in complete darkness which aren't visible with some lighting, not much though, I'm sure that some of those LED strips like on ebay would go a long way if you haven't tried them already, some ambient lighting is nice, it just gives it a warm glow! Saying that though, the Samsung LCDs of this year/last year are at similar kinds of levels to the PX80, and they should have got much worse in the dark

[Nymins]

Originally Posted by Monarch08

It should never be watched in complete darkness, projectors are the only things which really work in complete darkness, you do get a degree of bleeding and things like that in complete darkness which aren't visible with some lighting, not much though, I'm sure that some of those LED strips like on ebay would go a long way if you haven't tried them already, some ambient lighting is nice, it just gives it a warm glow! Saying that though, the Samsung LCDs of this year/last year are at similar kinds of levels to the PX80, and they should have got much worse in the dark

I have a set of ambient lights behind the TV at the minute that i got of ebay. They do improve it slightly, but not completely. Its strange cause everyone says that plasmas improve a lot when viewed in the evening or at night, but my PX80 looks tons better during the day through to dusk (dusk is the best time). The blacks look really really good during these times. Was just watching some of the Michael Jackson memorial thing and the black background blended in to the TV bezel and looked great on Sky Arts 1HD.

I remember my Samsung having kind of blueish blacks when all the lights were out, but they were no were near as noticeable as the dark grey's im getting on the PX80 which is really annoying.

[Monarch]

well complete darkness will always reveal grey but it seems that you have either a faulty set or high expectations, I would expect the blacks to be better than the LCD though (although I don't know what the blacks were like on that model), especially in darker lighting. You might as well try for a replacement though, you'll either get told that you can't have a new one and be left with what you already have, or you'll get a new one and find the blacks are the same and you only had high expectations (in which case a more expensive TV is needed!) but you've got a new model anyway, or you'll get a replacement which has better blacks and you're all happy!

[rewerb]

Originally Posted by Nymins

I remember my Samsung having kind of blueish blacks when all the lights were out, but they were no were near as noticeable as the dark grey's im getting on the PX80 which is really annoying.

Viewing should be done with some ambient light, not complete darkness. Bad for the eyes.

[Monarch]

Since I bought the TV there's been a faint hissing or buzzing noise on a completely black screen, only a very small something on screen will make it stop, but on a completely black screen there's been a high pitched hissing/buzzing noise. I don't know anyone else who has a PX80 so I was just wondering if this was a normal thing to happen, maybe because it dims the screen when it's completely black or something.

Not a big issue, but very mildly annoying at times, particularly now when I have the cricket on the radio (through the Virgin box).

[king jaffy jr]

I recently picked up the 37PX80, I know its an old model but I picked it up new for £250 which isn't bad. Its replacing a Sony 32S3000, its only going to be used in a bedroom, mainly for gaming (PS3) and watching movies streamed to the PS3. What are the best settings? Sorry to ask but these treads for these sets are huge! Also the I do find the sound very bad compared to the Sony, its now looking like I may invest is some cheap 2.1 speakers, any sugestions?

[kharma45]

Originally Posted by king jaffy jr

I recently picked up the 37PX80, I know its an old model but I picked it up new for £250 which isn't bad. Its replacing a Sony 32S3000, its only going to be used in a bedroom, mainly for gaming (PS3) and watching movies streamed to the PS3. What are the best settings? Sorry to ask but these treads for these sets are huge! Also the I do find the sound very bad compared to the Sony, its now looking like I may invest is some cheap 2.1 speakers, any sugestions?

These are the best settings according to HDTVTest.co.uk

[Nymins]

Bit of an update on my situation with my PX80. Still disappointed with the black level on my PX80 i decided to email Panasonic directly and ask what they recommend:

Thank you for your e-mail enquiry.

In response, I would explain that the black bars in letterbox viewing modes should appear black. Please note that by default they may appear grey. This is due to an anti-screen burn function incorporated into the set.

We would recommend you return the set to SHIPPING CONDITION and use the “Cinema” picture mode with the brightness reduced to around 30-40% for a fairly accurate picture.

Please note, however that the ambient lighting conditions will affect the picture significantly. A darkened room should be used for testing purposes of black levels to prevent any light reflections from making blacks appear as grey.

I trust that the above information will be of assistance to you.

I guess they didn't really define "black" exactly, but it raises concerns for me since they say letterbox movies should have black bars rather than the dark grey that i told them in my email to them. I replied to them just there and explained in more detail that the blacks are more dark grey and "muddy" looking, which they are.

So ill have to wait now and see what they recommend. Whether to take it back to the store, get a replacement and find out im just expecting too much. Or get it serviced!

[KeithyT]

Originally Posted by MZan

I have tried the Wii settings for myself over a component cable and can say most definitely that 480i is sharper than 480p

I have no idea why, can anyone offer up a technical explanation for this??

Only thing I can think of is maybe the Wii is doing its own (poor) internal up-scaling i.e it is not 480p native in the first place?? ....therefore my PX80 does a better job of upscaling 480i than the Wii does, which would kinda make sense I suppose.

I agree too. I recently got an Official Nintendo Component and when trying the original Wii Sports (to see the grass etc in Tennis and Golf) decided that 480i setting was far superior, and the text etc on Wii Menu screen was sharper and clearer - Admittedly this is one of the few games that does not support EDTV 480p mode.

I have just got the new Wii Sports Resort and decided to change the Wii output settings to 480p as this game does support EDTV 480p mode. It does look good but I bet it looks sharper on 480i. I will have a change and compare over the next couple of days.

[late8]

Originally Posted by king jaffy jr

I recently picked up the 37PX80, I know its an old model but I picked it up new for £250 which isn't bad. Its replacing a Sony 32S3000, its only going to be used in a bedroom, mainly for gaming (PS3) and watching movies streamed to the PS3. What are the best settings? Sorry to ask but these treads for these sets are huge! Also the I do find the sound very bad compared to the Sony, its now looking like I may invest is some cheap 2.1 speakers, any sugestions?

For our xbox360 the PX80 is on...
(xbox 720p input Intermediate Reference level)

CINEMA
Contrast 40
Brightness 33
Colour 32
Sharpness 4
Colour temp: Normal

For TV Viewing
(RGB Freeview)

NORMAL
Contrast 40
Brightness 32
Colour 28
Sharpness 3
Colour temp: Normal


TIP: Achieving best Black level and picture Brightness..

1. Display a black/blank image on your input device (a dark scene on a letterbox film is good) Do this in a dim/dark room.
2. Adjust the brightness up from 0 until green speckles appear on JET BLACK areas of the screen (Letterbox bars in the case of a DVD)
3. Ensure no green speckles are visible or at best one or two (they increase until the screen goes grey)

That way you get the best blacks possible and correct brightness. Usually 32 clicks right from absolute zero is best but some devices and AV inputs give different results.
You must have the AV input device ON as it wont work switching to a blank/black AV input on the PX80. If your brightness is too low areas of detail and highlights can be lost. If your brightness is too high Blacks begin to suffer and turn grey and a cloudy effect will show.

[guysie1]

Have the 42 px80 hopefully someone can advise regarding finger marks and droplets on the screen itself how would be the best way to remve.

Thanks

[2 Much 2 Young]

Hello again,got some top advice before so....just wondering
if would be better to buy the TX-p42x10y or the PX-P4280E,I know the PX is older,but in the shop the the fella said the picture was better,and blacks on the PX,they are the same price as they have a special on the TX.

Cheers D

[Fatwaz]

i had a px80 and can honestly say there is nothing in it between the two picture wise.if they are the same price i would get the x10 over the px80 as its a newer model but if the px80 was a lot cheaper i would get that.

[KeithyT]

Originally Posted by kharma45

These are the best settings according to HDTVTest.co.uk

I've set up my 37PX80B with these settings at last. The original HDTVtest guidance was for the 42" model, I take it they should be optimal for the 37" too.

Personally I had both my AV1 Sky (Scart) and AV2 DVD (Scart) set to Cinema anyway for the run-in period, but colour balance set to Normal rather than Warm. Changing it to Warm was a bit odd to the eyes, quite orangey but reducing the sharpness by one click didn't seem to reduce the legibility of on screen text any.

Watched Transformers on SD DVD last night and it seemed darker to my eyes (but not in a bad way). The CG transforming effects still looked as detailed as ever.

[Fatwaz]

to be honest mate you are best off setting contrast and brightness yourself with your viewing conditions and lighting.how do you know what the lighting was like in this test?was it a light room at midday or a dim room at 8pm?using other peoples settings may give you a better picture but thats only cos your original was poor in the first place.for a little money you can get the dve setup dvd or bd and use it to set your black and white levels to suit your room and lighting or for a cheap an cheerful method see if you have a dvd with a thx optimisor on it and use that to do the same.

[KeithyT]

Originally Posted by Fatwaz

to be honest mate you are best off setting contrast and brightness yourself with your viewing conditions and lighting.how do you know what the lighting was like in this test?was it a light room at midday or a dim room at 8pm?

I hear you (in this case though HDTVtest website does describe the room light conditions they used when you read the full web page. They seemed to be trying to get the TV as close as possible to the industry broadcast and cinema standard - T65(?) or something.

[Fatwaz]

yes but again it could still be different to your conditions viewing distance etc.what they are saying is setting all panasonics to cinema/warm is the closest to the d65 standard you can get out of the box but setting the contrast and brightness to your room conditions is the best way to get the right black/white levels.these will be in the same ball park as the review setting but brightness may need to be 1 or 2 clicks higher/lower etc.
all im saying is using other peoples settings is pretty pointless unless you have the same lighting and viewing conditions.

[Dave_nt]

If you have a blu ray player you can create a calibration disc for free

AVS HD 709 - Blu-ray, HD DVD, & MP4 Calibration - AVS Forum

You just need a blue filter to set the colour.

It's very easy to use and well worth it.

[Bujuben]

just a quick question

I've had my tv for about 6 months or so now and have only ever used hdmi 1 with my 360, and when i turn on the 360 it auto switches over to hdmi 1.
Recently i got my hands on a ps3, so i plugged it into hmdi 2 and expected the same auto switch that the hmdi 1 has but it never happened and i have to turn over manually to hmdi2.
Now this isn't a huge problem but i was wondering if there is any way to have the tv switch over when it recieves the signal from the ps3? or is this feature only on the 1st hdmi input?

Thanks in advance.

[rewerb]

Originally Posted by Bujuben

i was wondering if there is any way to have the tv switch over when it recieves the signal from the ps3? or is this feature only on the 1st hdmi input?

Thanks in advance.

Only HDMI1 autoswitches.

[Nymins]

I found a picture that closely resembles the black level on my PX80. Maybe not just as bad, but very close:

Take note of the "black" bar along the bottom. Mine is somewhat similar to that.

I got a reply from Panasonic and this is what they said:

In response, I would explain that the brightness / contrast controls should be adjusted so as the black bars in a letterbox mode appear black rather than grey.

If you believe there to be a fault with the TV then we would recommend you contact a local Panasonic Service Agent. Those in your local area can be found through our website;

[Bujuben]

Originally Posted by rewerb

Only HDMI1 autoswitches.

OK thanks, though that seems a bit silly to me but if thats how it is then i guess i'll have to live with it.

[KeithyT]

Not sure if this is specifically about the TV Aspect Ratio settings in the 37PX80BA but lately every SD DVD I watch lately appears to be in letterbox format with quite large letterbox effect.

2 most recent were Mirrors DVD rented from Blockbuster, and Transformers DVD 2 disc edition purchased.

Is this because the discs are non-anamorphic and so do not fill the 16:9 screen or am I overlooking something with the TV settings?

I feel such a hypocrite as I have always thought that letterbox format was preferable (being as close to correct cinema ratio as possible) but now I have what is the largest TV screen I have ever had I feel like I want it to fill the screen (and ideally want to avoid image retention as much as possible).

Am i getting myself all muddled about Anormorphic and aspect ratio and which device should be the one setting the display etc.

[Fatwaz]

your tv is 16:9 whereas most films are 2:35:1 to fit a cinema screen so on a 16:9 screen will have bars top and bottom.you could use zoom to make the picture bigger but it doesnt look as good cos you're blowing the picture up.

[KeithyT]

Thanks fatwaz I was a bit rusty on this. Also I just realised I was watching these 2 latest movies using my old Lecson DVD player (and I did not check its output/TV settings before play).

Just re-connected up my newly repaired DMR-E95H and the black bars top and bottom are now smaller (it's correctly set to a 16:9 TV). Checked the Transformers DVD details on dvdcompare and it is anamorphic so I take it I am getting the best/biggest widescreen picture possible.

[scottish nutter]

Originally Posted by Fatwaz

your tv is 16:9 whereas most films are 2:35:1 to fit a cinema screen so on a 16:9 screen will have bars top and bottom.you could use zoom to make the picture bigger but it doesnt look as good cos you're blowing the picture up.

iv started to take tha black bars away on my lcd while watching blu rays at night (saves seeing clouding on the black) and it isnt that bad, infact sometimes it looks better, never tried it on my plasma but id imagine the results would be the same