Strange service mode behaviour on Panny TX28DK1

[lungfish]

This TV displays an annoying bright line along the left hand edge of 4:3 images coming from my ntl digibox in RGB. Don't see this at all with composite output from the Pace digibox or through the RF input. Looking really hard at the picture, it looked as though the leftmost couple of columns of the picture were wrapping back around the edge of the 4:3 frame -- the kind of effect you'd get if you wound the horizontal position control on an older computer monitor over too far.

So I follow the instructions I found on this forum to get into service mode, thinking I might be able to tweak the frame position a little to make this line go away. I can get into service mode OK, but once I'm there, two strange/annoying things happen:

Strange: The first service mode display that comes up has something like this at the bottom of the screen:

E2 Program
TV >> Ext
Ext >> TV

The 'TV >> Ext' line is highlighted, I can toggle the highlight between the two lines, but pressing STR to choose either setting just gives me 'Error'. I can access the rest of the service mode adjustments from here as expected. My best guess is that this selects whether AV2 is an input or an output... anyone know for sure?

Annoying: Whenever I go into service mode the TV switches into 16:9, whatever type of programme and aspect setting I was using. Not very useful when I want to adjust the 4:3 picture. How do I get the set to stay in 4:3 when entering service mode?

As always, many thanks in advance

 

[Squirrel God]

Originally posted by lungfish
This TV displays an annoying bright line along the left hand edge of 4:3 images coming from my ntl digibox in RGB. Don't see this at all with composite output from the Pace digibox or through the RF input. Looking really hard at the picture, it looked as though the leftmost couple of columns of the picture were wrapping back around the edge of the 4:3 frame -- the kind of effect you'd get if you wound the horizontal position control on an older computer monitor over too far.

Sounds like "RGB shift" to me (which is normal). Some TVs have RGB shift correction in the standard user menu to help compensate for this effect - so it's worth checking that first. Note that if you adjust the horizontal position in the service menu, it will affect everything you watch in 4:3 (when it's really just the RGB sources that are "at fault" here).

 

[lungfish]

Originally posted by Squirrel God

Sounds like "RGB shift" to me (which is normal). Some TVs have RGB shift correction in the standard user menu to help compensate for this effect - so it's worth checking that first. Note that if you adjust the horizontal position in the service menu, it will affect everything you watch in 4:3 (when it's really just the RGB sources that are "at fault" here).

I don't think there's any RGB shift correction on this TV -- it's not the most advanced in terms of available controls. I'll have another look though.

Not too worried about affecting the 4:3 picture on other inputs; if I can get this line to go away the composite would only be used for occasional VHS playback anyway.

Of course it wouldn't surprise me at all if the ntl box is the culprit here (nothing surprises me with ntl anymore). I don't have any other RGB sources available until my DVD player turns up, but it will be interesting to see if that shows the same effect.

Now if I could just figure out how to change those 4:3 settings...

 

[lungfish]

Nobody?

There must be some Panasonic owner out there who knows how to adjust the 4:3 settings in service mode (or can explain to me how stupid I am getting it all wrong )

Scott