Panasonic TH-42PW4BX - Just Got One!

Dear All,

Just found this forum after taking delivery yesterday.

I'm using a 2.5 year old Toshiba DVD connected via S-Video (no component available). The picture certainly looks big and bold. I have noticed some jaggies though, particularly on the space station scenes in 2001: A Space Odyssey where there are lots of parallel lines.

I have picked up lots of ideas to play with the picture settings, so will try these out tonight. I have found I need to sit a lot farther back from the TV than I used to - about 12 feet is good otherwise the picture gets a bit grainy.

Will have to wait before upgrading to a better DVD player with component output - will I notice the diference?

I had been worried that 42" might be a bit small, but it looks far larger in the lounge than I ever imagined!

Watched the intro to Lord Of The Rings last night - just astounding! I felt like I was there. Even my girlfriend was impressed, and that's saying something!

 

I've got the Panny with Toshiba DVD on component - awesome. think you'll see some improvement over Svid.

 

Welcome to the club !! Think that makes a good 20 or so of us that have them ...

Surprised if the dvd doesn't have RGB available out of one of the scarts ... my 4 year old panny certainly had ...

Have a look ... it will be worth it !!

 

Make that 21!

I've had mine for a couple of weeks now. Connected my Tosh DVD player via component to the panny 42" plasma. Astounding picture. The DVD does progressive over NTSC as well, which makes even more difference. I am now using a QED component cable, and Keene syncblaster SCART to VGA cable for the digibox. Very, very impressive.

Due to the size of my lounge, I'm actually only sitting about 7 feet from the plasma, so it looks bigger than ever. I only see some grain on the VGA input source, but I put that down to the feed from NTL. DVD's look might impressive, and no grain to be seen.

 

Tman,

IK am going to order mine today.

I have one concern which is the quality of TV pictures.

How have you found that?

 

NeilH

Good to hear you're ordering one, you won't be disappointed!

As I said, from 7 feet away, the VGA input source (NTL digital) does show some grain, and occasionally some tizzing around the edges of high contrast colours, but nothing too offputting. I'm probably going to be dumping NTL in the next couple of months anyway, and going with freeview digital, so I'm hoping for improvements. At least I will have some control on what I can do with the feed!

DVD's will blow you away though. Progressive NTSC is jaw-dropping, and even interlaced PAL is damn impressive. You really get drawn into the action. As many people have said previously though, make sure you adjust the contrast and brightness to below zero. I think my contrast is -6 and brightness is -15 for the PC input (VGA TV source). You can independantly adjust these settings for each input source.

 

Make that 22.

Mine arrived this morning. Good service from Empire Direct... who delivered when they said they would almost to the minute. 10.00am.

Waiting for my 962a to arrive... so at the moment it's connected to my DVD through an s-video cable.

Even on S-Vid it's a great picture... This may be my imagination however but an NTSC feed seems clearer than the Pal feed. The blacks are good and it really does have a cinematic feel. I'm up Tottenham Ct Rd today... so I'm almost wondeing whether to by a scart /rgb cable... just to test.

Very pleased with this plasma.

Can't wait for the 962a to really put it through it's paces.

 

I agree with you about the S-Vid input Len. I ran mine on this for a couple of days while waiting for my component cable to arrive. I never thought S-Vid could look so good.

Is the 962a the Philips model, that does NTSC and PAL progressive? I've heard good things about it.

 

It is indeed... ordered it from Hivizone as recommended by Andy.

I've just dropped them an email to get some idea when it might arrive.

But this Home Cinema Lark's expensive isn't it.... You by a new screen... so then you have to get a New player.... then that sub has just got to go.... new AV unit... cables....

Lucky I have an understanding wife.

 

Tell me about it! I thought it was bad enough with computers, but there's always one more bit of your AV gear that needs upgrading. My amp is getting on a bit now and I've seen this really neat............... but that's another story.

I too have an understanding wife. She understands she *needs* a conservatory, and I understand I won't be spending any more on my gear for a while.......... or so she tells me.

 

Thanks for the replies guys.

Presumably if my Tosh DVD can output RGB from it's SCART, then I can buy a SCART-Component cable and get a true component signal?

If this is true then I'm really keen to try it out as I'm still not convinced that I'm getting the same quality of picture that you all get.

During demos of the Panny I remember being very close to the screen and thinking it was a great picture. With my set-up at home I have to stand a lot further away before I get the same impression.

It would be great to sit as close to the screen as I used to (7ft) and get the same viewing experience.

 

RGB and Component are not the same.... So I'm not sure that you'll get prog scan. But you should get a much better picture than through S-Vid.