Hdtv

[The Watchman]

Ok, I figured since some of you here seem to be technology savvy you might have some advice on TV's. Our current Panasonic HDTV was expensive and is only 1.5 years old. I've adjusted the all the settings and found no resolve to my issue. The issue being the image is simply too dark, and dark areas all blend together. I've done some research and others have has similar problems with the same model. I'm not looking to spend thousands again, so I was looking into an OLEVIA 32" 2 Series LCD HDTV to replace it as it's quite cheaper and has gotten favorable reviews for the price. Before I make any decisions I'd appreciate it if some of you would weigh in because I'm technology-******ed. Thanks all.

 

[jaguarr]

Is your Panasonic still under warranty, even if through an extended warranty from where you bought it? If so, it might be possible to get a service tech to look at it to see if they can resolve the issue for you through component replacement, firmware upgrades, or other means. Usually, if they can't resolve the problem, and the set is still under warranty, they will replace it for you at little or no charge with a same or like model to your satisfaction. Might be no need to buy a new set if you haven't tried this avenue, first.

jag

 

[The Watchman]

Thanks for the help Jag. I'd have to check, but I don't think it's under warranty anymore, I'm starting to think I'm crazy, because it's too dark, black object all seem to bleed together, there's no distinction in the dark areas, but it doesn't look unwatchable, I'm afraid to someone elses eye they'd think it was normal, but hours and hours of watching it to me something seems wrong, but I don't know if something is actually wrong with the tech, or if it's just the TV, I'm frustrated to no end, so I may just have someone come out, but I feel like they may wonder why I called to begin with.

 

[jaguarr]

Nahhh, you're not crazy. The picture being too dark is a fairly frequent complaint with most HDTV owners, particularly from the time period 1-2 years ago. I have a Samsung DLP set that took some careful tweaking to get it just right, but once I got it locked in the picture has been AMAZING.Depending on the type of set your Panasonic is, it may just simply need a new lamp or the mirror may have gotten dirty/dusty if it's a projection set of some sort. Also, I'd call the place you bought it from and see whether it's still covered under warranty or not (some of these sets do have two year warranties) and if it's not, see if it's not too late to add an extended warranty plan to it as some places will let you do so quite awhile after purchase. I rarely purchase the extended warranties on consumer electronics, but the big screen TV's are where I'll make an exception; they're worth every penny. Once you know for certain about repair coverage being taken care of by warranty or not, then I'd get a technician scheduled (the place you bought it from should coordinate this for you if you get them to cover under warranty or sell you an extended warranty). Those repair guys get a ton of calls about picture problems ranging from color tint problems, grey scale issues and the picture being too dark. Finally, you might find your particular Panasonic unit at this site:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=9

Those guys are hardcore A/V geeks and post all kinds of tweaks and configuration changes to get the most out of a set. The search function sucks (read: nonexistent) so it might take some time to find info specific to your particular television, but I bet you'll find some good info there.

Good luck!
jag

 

[The Watchman]

Thanks for all the help Jag, I appreciate it.

 

[KalMart]

I always use the AVIA calibration DVD for all my monitors. But for some sets, there is an extra 'service' menu that requires an unput code to access, and muct be set up by a licensed technician. What kind of TV is your Panny? CRT, LCD, Plasma?

 

[The Watchman]

Panasonic CT - 32HXC43G HDTV

It's actually 3 years old - I had no hand in picking the damn thing. I think we're going to have someone come out, but if they can't work out what's wrong with it, then we'll probably end up with a new LCD.

 

[jaguarr]

Watchman, if you wind up looking at new sets, check out the DLP projection sets (I like Samsung's offerings quite a bit). You don't get a true "hang it on the wall flat screen" with them, but you do get a technology that's had the bugs worked out of it, gets a very clear sharp picture, and won't kill your wallet. LCD's don't get a true black, and usually are prone to motion trail artifacts on faster moving video spots. A smaller LCD would be cool for like a workout room or something, but for my main set I wouldn't want one. Plasma is also problematic because they are pretty much impossible to repair if something goes wrong with them such as gas leaks or broken inner chambers. Bang it real hard on something one good time and you've got yourself a disposable TV.

Still, it'll be worth it to get a tech to check it out and see if he can breathe some new life into your Panasonic before you go that route. Good luck with it!

jag

 

[jaguarr]

Damn double posts. It's Morg's fault.

jag

 

[KalMart]

Although I prefer the more film-like look of DLP's, the bulbs have a much shorter lifespan (around 2000-4000hrs) than the pixels of a plasma (20,000hrs and more), and the DLP bulbs can cost around $350 or so to replace. So in a lot of ways, you're saving yourself more money over a period of 3 years or so with the plasma. The key is to get the TV from a reputable dealer so that if anything goes wrong, you can return the TV with no hassles.

If you are handling your sound through a stereo or entertainment system, I would suggest the Panasonic TH-42PH9UK:

http://reviews.cnet.com/Panasonic_TH_42PH9UK/4505-6482_7-31986261.html

It's actually more of an industrial display, but it's true HD (no speakers), and you can buy an extra card for HDMI or DVI hookup for not very much, although it already comes with component video hookup. Great plasma for a great price.

 

[Crooklyn]

Although I prefer the more film-like look of DLP's, the bulbs have a much shorter lifespan (around 2000-4000hrs) than the pixels of a plasma (20,000hrs and more), and the DLP bulbs can cost around $350 or so to replace. So in a lot of ways, you're saving yourself more money over a period of 3 years or so with the plasma. The key is to get the TV from a reputable dealer so that if anything goes wrong, you can return the TV with no hassles.

If you can get a good deal, sometimes you can find the lamps for under 200. As for longetivity, I'd say nothing beats DLPs. Yes, you'll need to replace the lamp every few years, but it's basically getting a brand new image everytime you do so. That's the biggest downside to plasmas for me (ironic since my family just bought one), as once you reach 10,000 hours or so, your picture is half as good as it was when you first bought it.

If you are handling your sound through a stereo or entertainment system, I would suggest the Panasonic TH-42PH9UK:

http://reviews.cnet.com/Panasonic_TH_42PH9UK/4505-6482_7-31986261.html

It's actually more of an industrial display, but it's true HD (no speakers), and you can buy an extra card for HDMI or DVI hookup for not very much, although it already comes with component video hookup. Great plasma for a great price.

Yes, I also highly recommend this set if you're going for plasma. If you need more help, I suggest going to plasmatvbuyingguide.com and check out their in-depth reviews there.

 

[jaguarr]

I also like the longevity of the DLP bulbs. I've had nothing but success with mine. And, when the lamp does finally need to be replaced, (and I've found them for my set as low as $189) you put one in and it's like getting a brand new TV. I know too many people who have had too many problems with plasma screens (both older ones and brand new ones in the last six months), so I'll never buy a plasma screen.

jag

 

[Crooklyn]

They look beautiful when they're hung up on the wall though, even better when they're ISF calibrated. My friend has a 60-inch Panny with his whole home-theater professionally installed, so you see absolutely no wiring. Just a huge screen on a blank wall. I wanna sneak in at night and make love to it.

 

[jaguarr]

^^^

LOL! Better take a good selection of screen wipes for when you're done.

Even better, get a high quality DLP projector and a good white screen and enjoy an eight foot wide picture.

jag

 

[Crooklyn]

Are projectors the best for home theaters? Better than tv sets?

For some reason I always get reminded of the vintage projectors where you have to manually turn the wheel to get moving picture. So I kinda worry about black levels and playing games on it.

 

[jaguarr]

They've come a long way. The newer DLP projectors are just consumer versions of the ones they're using in movie theaters, now. I have a buddy who has one and you should see the picture he gets out of it. It's amazing. He's got it set up in a video room that he had some help from his brother-in-law in setting up, who is an A/V installation specialist. It's damn cool to watch movies on an eight foot screen like that and his kids love playing Halo 2 on it (which is completely out of hand even to just watch). The only downside is that they don't do well with much additional light so the room he's got it in has no windows and very controlled artificial lighting. I don't have room for something like that, anyway, so I stick with my TV.

jag

 

[Crooklyn]

Yeah, I'd imagine that type of thing takes lots of pre-planning, not to mention money to get everything in perfect condition. I'll probably do that when I buy my own house, which is still a long ways to go. Ever since I saw Lucas' home theater set-ups at his ranch, I've been inspired, lol.

I'll stick with the HDTVs for now.

 

[jaguarr]

Does Lucas watch crappy movies on his home theaters (which I'm sure are impressive as hell)?

jag

 

[Fran]

...Are you talking about me

fran