Panny PW5B's tuner box

[RedRose]

At the risk of being called a heretic; has anyone gone for this option instead of the collection of various converters, adaptors etc. into a "raw" monitor. Being married I must admit that one simple box (TU-PTA600) with nice remote, built-in doubler etc. would help me sell it to the uvver arf. Is the pq massively impacted or is it a case of 95% vs. 100% .

Ta.

 

[RedRose]

I don't geddit. This is the second time I've posted a question and got either zero or one reply. Is it the way I ask them or something?

 

[DodgeTheViper]

Redrose,

Dont get paranoid...................

As you have probably noticed there are a lot of forum members. What you post does not necessarily interest everyone. Also, the members it may interest, are not here all of the time. Sometimes a little patience is called for. It can sometimes help, as you say, to perhaps delete and re-phrase your query.

Good luck...............
Kev

 

[RedRose]

Cheers Mozzer

I take your point and agree with it. A repost might work; my main concern is that these threads quickly slide down to obsurity due to the volume of contributions. I don't know about you, but if a thread isn't on page 1 then I assume it's getting beyond its sell-by date. I'll keep at it. Thanks for your encouragement.

 

[Joe Fernand]

RedRose

I guess the simple answer to your lack of responses to your initial question may be that very few on the forum have had a chance to view the new 5 Series displays along with the new TU-600 tuner - I certainly haven't.

As you say the tuner option simplifies the potential usability of the display - though I find the operation of any of the displays with an external tuner can be just as confusing and tricky as a display and an AV amp used as your video switcher.

The new Panasonic Tuner does seem to have some crucial 'issues' - a key one being that you cant connect a PC to the display; not an issue for everyone but most customers like to retain the ability to connect up a PC and surf the web or show digital images to the family.

As far as affecting the picture quality then certainly every other two box 'PlasmaTV' system on the market fairs less well with high quality video sources than the best of the 'Display' models where all connections are direct to the plasma display - conversely though the PlasmaTV models are less revealing on poor signals .

Possibly have a look at the Pioneer PDP-433HDE PlasmaTV (he best of the two box systems) alongside the Panasonic 5 Series display (without the TU-600 tuner) and compare a video source on both - then try out the features on both and decide which is the best system for you.

We have plenty of customers who have gone for the non 'videophile' Pioneer HDE models as a good compromise between absolute picture quality and a family friendly big TV.

Best regards

Joe

 

[joys_R_us]

Hey Joe,

you are leaning too much towards the Pio !

Yesterday evening I spent an hour in a shop with Pana 42 (series 5 with PT-600) and 50 and Pio 43 and 50 PDPs side by side. I got a salesman to change the source from DVD to various TV-channels.

My not too critical wife and me were very sure about the verdict. Pana was clearly superior. I am not talking about black levels which were better on the Pana (they were acceptable on Pio and Pana). It was the GRAININESS (or how should I describe it: pixel noise) of the Pio and the solid picture of the Pana which hold them apart. ALthough I also tended to the Pio before watching I have to say for normal TV watching my decision is absolutly clear:
Pana 42 !

Red rose:

I have and had the same concerns as you. I had no chance to compare the displays with and without the boxes but based on what I learned on various boards and tests following statements might be regarded as valid:
- Pana PT-100 (the older box) was/is CRAP
- Pio box introduces noise on the signals.
- Pana Pt-600 doesnt have deinterlacer and 2:2 film mode recognition so that watching movies on broadcast TV might be a compromise thing.

The only viable alternative seems to me to be the NEC MP4 (it has film mode recognition for PAL and lots of connections) but NO MEDIA BOX.

Maybe we should still wait half a year or so to see ripened TV Plasma products on the market

Kemal

 

[Joe Fernand]

Joys_R_us

You must have the only NON critical wife in the world

I think the lack of a PC input is too big a fly in the ointment if you want to use the PT-600 with the Panasonic displays - most customers we get want to have the ability to hook a PC up to their system for Surfing, Games and Photo Albums.

Other wise your observations are spot on re the differences between the Pioneer HDE and the Panasonic displays - I've had very little viewing of the TU-600 so cant say how it affects the image quality against a direct connection to the Panasonic display.

If you want an option to the Pioneer HDE and dont require an analogue tuner box then look to the Pioneer MXE.

Best regards

Joe

 

[fmottaz]

I have both the 5WD and Tuner 600. Though I haven't tried it, the VGA input is present on the diplay alongside the tuner connection. The PC input can even be chosen directly on the tuner remote. There is a button dedicated to this input.

Regarding PQ difficult to say as I did not compare side by side. In my view, the TV picture is ok most of the time. Since DVD is maybe only 20% of our watching time, I think the tuner makes the whole screen much more practical for the family,

 

[Joe Fernand]

fmottaz

As you say the PC In socket is present on the display but once you connect the Tuner Terminal board to the display the PC In socket is disconnected.

Maybe you can try it just to confirm - but that's the info I have from Panasonic UK.

Best regards

Joe

 

[joys_R_us]

The information I read somewhere on these boards about the PC connection issue is that you can connect a cable to the PC IN socket of the plasma and leave it there. If you later want to connect the PC you have to separate the Tuner box - plasma cable and voila ! the PC connection is on again.

It is really really a shame for a piece of equipment worth 3500 pounds that you have to work with such unconvenient tricks, but it is at least a last resort for those who only seldom need the PC hooked up to the plasma.

Hey Joe pls. tell these Panasonic guys that they need a brain amputation if they dont see and solve this problem

Kemal

 

[cadmeister]

I'm interested in the new slimline tuner as well due to WAF and general connectivity, but haven't seen any confirmation that the problems in the old model have been addressed.

I did get this reply from another user on anothe rforum though :

I have one of these tuners (also to go with my plasma), and it is excellent, I tried it out against the pioneer tuner highly recommended by the shop but the panny was outstanding it seems all the earlier problems have been dealth with

 

[ijwoo1]

I have the Tupta600 and PW5. Not much I can add really really. I didn't do any comparisons.

The only things I have noticed to date, which I believe are problems, are the "Auto" aspect mode and the AV selection.

The auto aspect mode seems to do a duff job of selecting the correct viewing aspect for the source. On terrestrial TV, which is only where I've noticed it so far, you more often than not get very narrow bars top and bottom before the "Auto" has kicked in and adjusted the aspect. Why the bars are there I haven't worked out yet. But what makes it worse is that that Auto aspect instead of increasing the vertical scaling and squashing horizontally or chopping the sides off, it increases the size of the picture in all directions and chops all sides. Go figure !


The AV input select also seems a bit suspect. Firstly there are no discrete codes, a pain if you want to set up remote macros to make it easy for the wife and kids. Secondly it seems to get locked on to the wrong signal within the scart. You should be able to cycle through AV1/AV1s AV2/AV2RGB etc etc using the AV select buttons, but instead once its displaying AV1s for example the cycle button starts switching aspect instead of the AV input mode. I guess the only way to fix this would be to disconnect the unused connections in the SCART to prevent them being selected.

Picture quality seems perfectly good to me, but how much it has been compromised by the Tuner I cannot say.

 

[Nick23]

ijwoo1, maybe you can help me answer this.

If i buy the 37PW5 and the TA600 tuner box, do i need to buy anything else in order to connect the 2 together? I'm new at this, and keep hearing talk about "terminal boards" and don't know what one i need to get. Does the Tuner come with a terminal board which is plugged into the plasma? Finally, what type of connection goes from the Tuner into the screen?

Thanks

 

[ijwoo1]

Originally posted by Nick23
ijwoo1, maybe you can help me answer this.

If i buy the 37PW5 and the TA600 tuner box, do i need to buy anything else in order to connect the 2 together? Finally, what type of connection goes from the Tuner into the screen?

Thanks

The plasma as standard comes with a terminal board for connecting standard video sources to. So I guess, because I've not seen it, that it would have BNC or RCA inputs for RGB/component input etc.

You may find you can order the plasma with the terminal board already fitted. Someone else on this forum will undoubtedly know for sure.

When you partner it with the TUPTA600, you need a specific terminal board to replace the standard one in the Plasma. I believe this specifc terminal board has to be ordered in addition to the TUPTA600, i.e it does not come with it.


When the TUPT600 is connected, all video sources have to connect to it. The VGA input which remains on the PLASMA is disabled when the TUPTA600 is connected.

The tuner connects to the plasma terminal board via a proprietary cable which has high densite D-type plugs at each end. The standard cable is 3M long but you can order longer ones as an option.

 

[fmottaz]

My display came without any board installed. The PT600 tuner came with its specialized board to be installed into the plasma. The board was packed inside the PT600 box and the whole package seemed factory sealed. I ordered both together so I'm not sure what will happen if you buy separately.

Francois

 

[Nick23]

Originally posted by ijwoo1
The plasma as standard comes with a terminal board for connecting standard video sources to. So I guess, because I've not seen it, that it would have BNC or RCA inputs for RGB/component input etc.

You may find you can order the plasma with the terminal board already fitted. Someone else on this forum will undoubtedly know for sure.

When you partner it with the TUPTA600, you need a specific terminal board to replace the standard one in the Plasma. I believe this specifc terminal board has to be ordered in addition to the TUPTA600, i.e it does not come with it.

Can anyone tell me the model number of the terminal board I need for the 37PW5 to use with the PT600 tuner incase i have to order it seperately?

Thanks

 

[d_devani]

That would be

Panasonic TY37MT5H
Tuner Terminal Board For Th37pw5b

check it out at

http://www.empiredirect.co.uk/Productlist.asp

 

[datel]

Hi!

Just need to know... its possible conect the dvi terminal board on the panny and the turner600 in the same plasma?

I heard the panny50 kit available in Europe delivery the turnerbox and a terminal board, just i am planning to buy the dvi-board for connect my radeon dvi out to the plasma.


Regards,
datel

 

[Joe Fernand]

datel

Sorry to scupper your plans but its one terminal board at a time only with the Panasonic range of displays.

With the DVI board fitted you also have the option of Composite or S-Video - and that's it.

I sound like a broken record but for those looking for a great display and input flexibility look to the Pioneer MXE - no 'matching' external tuner; but then you dont really need one do you? There are plenty of ways of connecting up a complex multi input system to the Pioneer MXE displays.

Best regards

Joe

 

[KBDVD]

Joe,

Please don't take this the wrong way but I have detected a very definate bias on your part towards the Pioneer screens of late.

In terms of input flexiblity I would conceed that they have the edge over the Panasonics both now and likely in the future with the supposed 3rd party boards in development.

My worry is that the MOST important consideration when buying a screen must surely be "Ultimate Image Quality?"

Correct me if I'm wrong, but whenever you have been questioned on this you have seemed to support the assertion that the Panasonic range has the edge in PQ due to both its superior blacks, and the reduced "Tizz" or "texture" that is apparent in the image? This is certainly how it appears to my eyes.

If this is the case I would urge you not to forget this in your posts.

IMHO The best PQ with limited input flexibility is the prefered route.

Best Regards,
KBDVD.