PHD8 Problems Poll

Problems with your PHD8?


  • Total voters
    47
I have a 50" PHD8 no problems at all after 3 weeks to report. Really impressed with the picture especially the dvd (denon 1920) through hdmi.


Chris
 
chrisrand said:
I have a 50" PHD8 no problems at all after 3 weeks to report. Really impressed with the picture especially the dvd (denon 1920) through hdmi.


Chris

Hi Chris.....try the Denon over component to the pc port.....bet you it will look even better with more detail in blacks. Thats what I found anyway but that was using a crappy Samsung HD950. Now using a Cambridge Audio DVD55 (not as good as your Denon) and the picture is stunning over component. Just an idea.
 
Having read your post I went out and bought The Incredibles in the interests of research : )) From the HDMI output of an Arcam DV79 into the DVI board on the PHD8 the "change" was undetectable from a normal viewing distance. I then switched to component output from the Arcam and into the dual slot board and now see what the fuss has been about. It is not contrast that is changing, in my opinion, it is brightness - i.e. black level. As the car reverses out of the garage the image becomes much more intense and as this occurs there is a slight increase in the black level (small shift from black towards gray). It is a change across the whole screen, black bars included.

Having seen it on the component connection I then looked again at the HDMI / DVI. Sure enough, the effect is there, but this time only detectable when very close up to the screen.

I have spent much of today trying to completely eliminate the effect and also trying various settings to see if I can make it much worse and so understand why some people are seeing it as a real problem - which it isn't here, certainly not over HDMI / DVI. I can't eliminate it but it is so subtle on the HDMI / DVI input, properly calibrated, that I can't believe anyone would be upset by it.

Get the gamma setting slightly wrong, set brightness a bit too high and over the component input it is more noticeable, though again I suspect most people won't see it.

All results are, of course, off my panel - others may differ. Here at least I would say not a serious problem and certainly not a reason to avoid this panel. I continue to say that mine is the best 42" that I have yet seen : )
 
Sorry, should have said that was a reply to blackeyepurple's post on page 1.
 
Theo,
At least you did not pay a lot more for it like I did for my PHD6 a couple of years ago.
I know it's not exactly relevant, but (as stated above), most panels, including LCD's buzz when there is a lot of white displayed. My Denon amp makes more noise that my plasma.

Steve.
 
Piers said:
Having read your post I went out and bought The Incredibles in the interests of research : )) From the HDMI output of an Arcam DV79 into the DVI board on the PHD8 the "change" was undetectable from a normal viewing distance. I then switched to component output from the Arcam and into the dual slot board and now see what the fuss has been about. It is not contrast that is changing, in my opinion, it is brightness - i.e. black level. As the car reverses out of the garage the image becomes much more intense and as this occurs there is a slight increase in the black level (small shift from black towards gray). It is a change across the whole screen, black bars included.

Having seen it on the component connection I then looked again at the HDMI / DVI. Sure enough, the effect is there, but this time only detectable when very close up to the screen.

I have spent much of today trying to completely eliminate the effect and also trying various settings to see if I can make it much worse and so understand why some people are seeing it as a real problem - which it isn't here, certainly not over HDMI / DVI. I can't eliminate it but it is so subtle on the HDMI / DVI input, properly calibrated, that I can't believe anyone would be upset by it.

Get the gamma setting slightly wrong, set brightness a bit too high and over the component input it is more noticeable, though again I suspect most people won't see it.

All results are, of course, off my panel - others may differ. Here at least I would say not a serious problem and certainly not a reason to avoid this panel. I continue to say that mine is the best 42" that I have yet seen : )


Thanks for that Piers, as far as i'm concerned its not a fault with my particular set as i've said i'm sure they will all do it. I did notice it the day I got it however and it is distracting and an unfortunate design flaw that it seems a lot of people have known about since the 7 series screen. See the AVS forums for more info on this issue. Why would you want the screen to do this? answer.....you would not. This is the only thing that spoils the panel for me but is not enough to warrant sending back a second unit.....it may however bother others enough to do so.
 
Agreed that you wouldn't want the panel to do this but with VERY careful calibration the effect becomes almost unnoticeable.
 
Piers said:
Agreed that you wouldn't want the panel to do this but with VERY careful calibration the effect becomes almost unnoticeable.

Any black shift in a darkened room is noticable if its like a switch being flicked and not a gradual change. As I have said for the best part of 2.5k its very dissapointing that the screen does this. I for one am not about to fork out another £300 odd to lessen the effect.....may well look at it again when its run-in and funds allow :D
Not having a pop at you Piers but I think as a retailer and ISF tech you are maybe looking at it from a slightly different angle. Thanks a lot for you input and advise.....I'm sure I will need it again in the future. ;)
I also wait with great interest to hear back from AVSales (Chris and John) concerning this matter.....they are still (2 weeks later) waiting to hear back from Panasonic! :thumbsdow
 
A completely random question...

Do i use the short or long screws to screw the plasma to the stand? :rolleyes:
 
Well its set up...




Looks like i got a quiet one!!

On quick inspection, i cant see any dead pixels either, but to be honest im not going go looking for them.

Now to program my Chameleon remote...
 
tjradiohead said:
A completely random question...

Do i use the short or long screws to screw the plasma to the stand? :rolleyes:

I used the short spacers and screws. Fits with a couple of millimetre clearance.
 
If any of you are interested..........

Received a reply from Panasonic. The effect you have seen is caused by the operation of the ABL (auto beam limiter) on the plasma. The ABL is designed to offer the viewer the best possible picture overall and helps to reduce deterioration of the panel and panel life.

It appears this is triggered occaisionally in some films.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The above is from AVSales regarding the contrast/brightness change issue.

So it appears your stuck with the effect as it is a "feature" not a fault and all units do it.
 
blackeyepurple said:
The ABL is designed to offer the viewer the best possible picture overall and helps to reduce deterioration of the panel and panel life.

Nice to have a name to the only thing that bugs the crap out of me with this set!
I have found that haveing contrast set at 70 (+20) and brightness 20 below that of the contrast level,cancels out some of the effect.
There is also a green push going on with the 42pv500, enyone else notice that?

Will.
 
Not noticed the green push.....the contrast change get on my t*** too. Have to see if I get used to it or if it still annoys me over the next few days....be interesing to see if the new set is any different....the last one was very quiet....and being my 3rd i'm hoping it is lucky!
 
blackeyepurple said:
.the last one was very quiet....!

can you conclusively confirm that different units have different levels of operational noise?

This may be the nail in the coffin of the debate I've been trying (unsucessfully) to settle with myself that mine was normal but I was just being sensitive to it.
 
This one is quiet too....same as the one that died.....3 dudd pixels (all dead on blue) not happy :(
 
Decisions decisions! Do I swap a noisy set with a perfect picture (occasional contrast flickers notwithstanding) for a potentially quieter one with the potential for imperfections in the display?

I wish I didn't have to make the decision... If only it had been right first time.
 
I'm not to bothered about buzzing or fan noise (within reason) but I cannot accept parts of my picture being dead......the last one was perfect and I was happy with it. I don't earn a huge amount of money and this is my biggest ever purchase bar a car.....I really can't accept this type of fault and will be calling AVSales in the morning for refund/replacement. I know that if I keep it I will always be looking for the dead ones. I'd stick with the set you have Theo, Ive had 3 and 2 have had dead pixels so thats pretty likely gonna happen to you. Its a display at the end of the day and a bit of noise is way better than parts of the picture missing.
 
Have mine (TH-50PHD8) up since the weekend. Picture is great. No fan noise at all. Only thing I noticed was on sky sports when they have a scolling bar at the bottom of the screen it seems to 'wobble', nearly impossbile to look at. Football is simialr on sky sports as well - must be the fast moving objects. Is this a cable thing (scart) or will it settle down when the Panel gets a bit of a run in ?
 
Thing is blackeye you are no doubt (like myself) a perfectionist!
As you may know I too have a few dead pixels - again only on blue, but try finding them on a standard TV picture - near impossible.

At the end if the day its a screen to watch TV, if you can't see it from 6,8,10,12 feet away can you really say this is an issue with the screen? An LCD computer monitor is a little different as you sit only 1-2 feet away from the thing. There are 786432 pixels on the panel - 3 of those have a problem and only a 3rd of those 3 at that!

Again there is the other side of the coin - you've paid over £2g for something that does not work 100% and that a hell of a lot of money (to me anyway.)

I'm not having a go (as I said i'm in the same boat as you) but perhaps its time to begin enjoying the screen and try to forget an almost invisible problem?

Cheers

Saltrock :thumbsup:
 
Saltrock said:
Thing is blackeye you are no doubt (like myself) a perfectionist!
As you may know I too have a few dead pixels - again only on blue, but try finding them on a standard TV picture - near impossible.

At the end if the day its a screen to watch TV, if you can't see it from 6,8,10,12 feet away can you really say this is an issue with the screen? An LCD computer monitor is a little different as you sit only 1-2 feet away from the thing. There are 786432 pixels on the panel - 3 of those have a problem and only a 3rd of those 3 at that!

Again there is the other side of the coin - you've paid over £2g for something that does not work 100% and that a hell of a lot of money (to me anyway.)

I'm not having a go (as I said i'm in the same boat as you) but perhaps its time to begin enjoying the screen and try to forget an almost invisible problem?

Cheers

Saltrock :thumbsup:


I wish I could change the type of person I am tbh.....would make my life a lot easier! Unfortunately i'm a product of my environment (both my parents are perfectionists) and I noticed the pixels within 30 secs when the blue warning screen was going up at the begining of LOTR. The set was then switched off and has been on for a total of 2 mins I would think. The last set was perfect but died on me after 2 weeks. I sit 7-8 feet away and would always be looking for them so there is no point trying to convince myself its ok. If you went into a shop and they said "would you like a set with or without dead pixels sir?" no one would say....hmmm....dead pixels please.....so its going back. Samsung Korea have a zero pixel policy on their products....so even some manufacturers in certain markets see it as an issue worth advertising. I would like to add that AVSales service throughout has been nothing short of fantastic. I completely understand why they can only offer a refund for this fault as the manufacturer sees it as within tolerance. I just wish it had been perfect in this respect so that I could have given them my money. I do however know there are others on this forum who would no except even 1 dud pixel....so i'm not alone. ;)
 

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