PE30 Scart & Switching Problems

Ekko Star

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It seems to me that there maybe a slight problem with the quality of the scart boards installed on the PE30, in general.

Although I haven't experienced of the 'non-auto switching' that others have I did have a switching problem between component and Freview on my first set. My replacement set hasn't erradictaed this problem completely, but it's generally fine and I can live with it.

However, whilst watching a DVD last night, a different problem arose. I noticed I heard some faint voices and sounds coming through over and above the DVD soundtrack ! Basically the terrestrial channel that the set was previously locked on, either Freeview or analogue continues to come through whilst on an AV channel. It's not 'that' loud but it's enough of a whisper to be very annoying on a dialogue based movie. Not sure if I could live with this problem !

Toying with some of the AV 'out' selections did seem to help but it did not erradicate it completely. Also constantly having to change these selections in order to watch a DVD is not the most ideal thing to have to do. It's not a cable quality issue either, you can in fact have no cables plugged into the set and you will still hear 'crosstalk'.

A bit dissapointed with an otherwise excellent bit of kit at the moment. I am now toying with the idea of maybe switching the Viera for a Pioneer 434HDE, though I am loathed to go down the modular route if I have to.

Any comments ?
 
I have this model and haven't heard any crosstalk.
Even if it was an issue you could unset the current channel.

As for a monitor instead of a TV, that may have been the case up to the end of last year, but as with all new technologies, you have to move on, once the technology improves to the point where the trade off beween performance and convenience just doesn't justify sticking with the old cumbersome solution.
 
The point is, it shouldn't be doing it and you shouldn't have to do that.

Anyway I have connected DVD recorder through QLink on AV4 and passed through DVD player Audio via the recorder. DVD video is via component.

On the settings for AV out I have selected AV3 and will use that as my default as I have nothing plugged in there. Only changing it when needed.

On the most part this is an acceptable enough solution I guess.

Any other combination of settings and there is definately cross talk. I checked out another model instore today and it was evident on that as well, so it is there on the Viera's.

MAW, I checked out the Pioneer as well whilst there, but it re-affirmed why I don't want to go down that path. TV solution is oh so convenient, once you've lived with it, you don't want to go panel route with all those boxes and cables ever again.
 
I have AV2 out set to monitor and haven't heard any crossover at all. Mind you, thinking about it, most (99%) of my viewing has the TV speakers turned off and sound piped through the 5.1 surround system.

S.
 
Hello all

whirlpool - I have to disagree.

I spent a couple of hours on Monday night in the company of a PE30 and I have to say the User Menu and control system is the most cumbersome I've come across in a while; and the handset is a horror.

Using a Display + SKY + mid range AV Receiver (with supplied learning remote) is way easier than using the PE30.

Best regards

Joe
 
Sorry Ekko star, wsn't very helpful was it? There is clearly a fault in your set, you need a repair/replacement. As to the cables, I make my living out of making them disappear. A 1 cable connection is perfectly possible, all sorts of ways of doing it. But it doesn't help your busted Viera.
 
Steve_P said:
I have AV2 out set to monitor and haven't heard any crossover at all. Mind you, thinking about it, most (99%) of my viewing has the TV speakers turned off and sound piped through the 5.1 surround system.

S.

Your not likely to hear it if you have the volume turned down. Needs to be about half way up, you may need to go up close to be able to pick them up at first to know what it is you are listening for. AV2&4 are the in/out scarts and that's where it is evident the most. AV1 blanks out the crossover but you will get the odd 'pop & crackle' come through occasionally.

I sit a minimum 8ft away from the screen and whilst watching a dialogue based movie with volume half way up I could hear the whispers. With my above settings that has now helped on AV4 but it still comes through on AV2. Change of the settings addresses this but TBH it bugs me more now that it is there and that you have to do this.

MAW, I'm gonna check out one more place to see if the instore model exhibits this and then decide what I want to do. I take it the Pioneer with speakers & media box blanks out crossover completely ?
 
Ekko,

I'll check mine out in the manner that you suggest and let you know what I find. Fortunately for me, I rarely use the TV speakers preferring instead to use my 5.1 system so the TV is permanently turned to zero volume.

I do know where you are coming from though as my previous telly, Panny TX-24T1, used to show a very faint ghost image of the TV tuner when viewing a signal on AV1, so on that TV I used to tune the digibox into a blank channel before watching DVD's via AV1 or my eyes would pick out the ghost drifting across the screen. Very very faint but annoying never-the-less once your eyes were aware of the issue.

S.
 
Cheers Steve, appreciate that :)

I think what you had on your old telly was probably Scart cable related. Something with ghosting like that then it's worth opening up your scart cable and snipping pin 19. It's usually down to cheaply shielded cable, the video composite out (pin 19) cross's over to pin 20 video input..resulting in ghosting.
 
Ekko, I've never heard it on a Pio, just got in from a 504 now. Not thrilled with it, so slow to respond to remote, and the separate media box bugs me, but aside from that it wasn't too shabby. Analogue picture is not good, but you know what to expect there.
 
MAW, I respect your opinion, seems like your eyes and feelings on the Pioneer are not too dissimilar to mine.

I do like the Pioneer, but I do need this thing as an all round set. It gets used by everyone in the household. The Viera is spot on for this. Separate media boxes, Freeview becomes painful in that sense. The slow remote, even the buttons on the set take an age to respond would all get to me after a while.

Also the pic on the Pioneer although more resolute, doesn't do it for me as much as the Panasonics. Whether it be HD or SD form, the funny thing being I actually prefer the lower res Viera to the 434 simply cos it seems to handle all round fare and off air broadcasts with a nice, clearer sharper picture.

If I follow on from the Viera, which I haven't decided to do yet, I feel I have nowhere to go apart from the Pioneer. Bit cornered in that sense.
 
The only other way to go is the full monty, do a solution with a switching AV amp, some speakers the wife will live with, and a pronto. Then you can use a monitor. Falls down if you have highly destructive rugrats, I have seen a sad pronto after a rugby match went wrong. The tight integration with a decent remote makes it 1 system rather than a collection of bits. 1 button for 'on', a button for freeview, a button for DVD, channel logos for TV channels etc. And a nice button labelled 'off'. That's what we call 'wife friendly TV'.
 
Steve_P said:
Ekko,

I'll check mine out in the manner that you suggest and let you know what I find...
Well I've just done a bit of playing around and the results seem a little strange. Firstly, I tried Qlink on AV2 and tried all combinations of AV2OUT from Analogue through to Monitor next I set Qlink to AV4 and repeated the exercise with the AV4OUT settings. Whilst testing I made sure that Analogue, AV1, AV2 & AV4 had different sound feeds in order to try and pinpoint any sound crossover. AV3 and DVB had no feeds to them, I'm on ntl for my sins.

The results were the same no matter whether Qlink was set to AV2 or AV4 and no matter what the subsequent AV2/4 OUT was set to:

- AV1, AV3 and DVB and no crossover or any sound artifacts even with the volume set to max. One point to note is that when viewing AV3 the TV would beep in unison with a button press on the TV remote but only when the volume was set close to max. No button presses then no beeps.

- AV2, AV4 and Analogue exhibited a faint 'clicking or ticking sound' when the volume was set over half-way and the faint clicking became quite significant when the volume was set anywhere between 3/4 and max. No discernable voices or sound crossing over from other feeds though.

Ekko, hope that lot above makes sense! Phew! I'm just glad I don't use the TV sound and instead stick to using my 5.1. :rolleyes: :D :thumbsup:

To be fair, I don't think those sound artifacts would interfere with normal viewing as the clicking/ticking would be swamped by the normal sounds of the signal, unless of course it was a quiet scene. As mentioned above the volume would also have to be set to at least 1/2 max or higher for the 'feature' to become evident.

S.
 
Thanks Steve for checking.

I compared the model instore today replicated my settings and no crossover whatsoever. I will now be getting my replacement Saturday morning as store agreed it should not be happening. Customer service is absolutely superb, no questions asked, nothing was too much trouble, could change it for any other model should I wish as well

Fingers crossed 3rd time lucky, I decided to give the Viera one more chance. If not then I will go Pioneer path. I put the Viera foibles down to build quality and the fact that it's assembled in Czech Rep.
 

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