Panasonic VT50 Q&A Thread

[MDRiggs]

sorry to jump , but 've bought 50VT50 panasonic yesterday, and i have quite bright room, is there somone who can send me some calibration details for that TV

i how to configure day or night ISF, and to get the accurate and smooth picture you think of.

i know each panel is diffrent , but i really dont understand the technical input you are refering, i just need to go step by step and do it.

can somone be generous and help me here please ?

You'd probably be better off asking this one in the calibration thread. I think you need CalMan software and instrumentation to use the ISFcc settings. For best possible picture, get a professional calibration from a good calibrator, who could set up day and night modes for you. If you're not going that route, the best starting points are probably the THX modes, one of which is for bright rooms, then tweak from there.

[MDRiggs]

I've seen settings from tweaktv, cnet and plasmatvbuyingguide and they are all different. If they are all different doesn't that mean they are more subjective than objective? I'm using the plasmatvbuyingguide numbers under custom setting for now but usually watch with thx bright room and thx cinema which look pretty good to me.

Suggest reading this: http://www.highdefjunkies.com/showthread.php?9113-About-the-reviewer#.T-jXK5HNm_w

[Jdmagoo]

You'll immediately void the warranty the moment it leaves the states and since us power is different than australia power, even with a power adapter you risk problems. Personally i wouldnt do it. Not to mention idk how much it would cost to take it back.

Not to fussed about the power adapter as I can just change the lead, also the cost of bringing it back is free. Also, the difference in price could easily offset cost of repairs if needed.

[Jdmagoo]

I don't think North American sets will work with Australian TV, which is PAL (and thus 50 Hz) for SD. Not sure about HD, but my guess would be that it also is 50 Hz.

I know tv sets released in Australia in the past could play both NTSC and PAL, is this also not true for sets released in the US?

[rahzel]

I've seen settings from tweaktv, cnet and plasmatvbuyingguide and they are all different. If they are all different doesn't that mean they are more subjective than objective? I'm using the plasmatvbuyingguide numbers under custom setting for now but usually watch with thx bright room and thx cinema which look pretty good to me.

No, it's more objective than subjective. However, the settings obtained through a calibration will depend on several variables:

1) Panel variances. Not all panels are the same.
2) How the panel was aged. During the first 100-150 hours is when a plasma TV's phosphors shift the most or go through the most change. How each set was used during this time will have an effect on what offsets/tweaks need to be made to the panel after this period.
3) Meter accuracy. Meters vary in quality and accuracy. Meters also lose accuracy over time due to deterioration, but the more expensive ones last a long time before they need servicing.
4) The calibrators skill level/knowledge/experience. It's not simply a matter of having good equipment; knowing the quirks and how certain displays behave will generally allow you to get better results.

Any pro calibrator will shoot for accuracy, and other than gamma where there is no set standard, there is a standard for grayscale and color. Settings like Contrast, Brightness (and Gamma) can be different based on lighting conditions. Sharpness should be set so there's no edge-enhancement/artificial sharpening of the picture. But overall, there is a certain target that calibrators will shoot for.

[maygit]

Not to fussed about the power adapter as I can just change the lead, also the cost of bringing it back is free. Also, the difference in price could easily offset cost of repairs if needed.

K, just letting you know, you asked. Reading online, here are the negatives:

DVDs, Wii, and xbox 360 are region encoded so you'll need to buy a new one of whatever you have over there or consistently buy games from the US.
48hz/96hz modes will become useless.
Cable tuner won't work at all. So if you planned to get OTA signals or standard cable, find something different cuz you'll need a set top box.
Voided MFG warranty and very difficult to get serviced in australia. People who had problems in australia w/ US merchandise contacted repair shops and those shops refused to even look at the TVs. Probably has to do with insurance reasons or something i'm sure. So unless you are a repair man yourself, you'd have to ship the tv back to the US and then pay for the part + labor and ship it back. In the end probably costing a lot more than just buying it there.

I see it's $5999.00 there vs $3699.99 here so i get your point about the cost. So save $2300, but lose some features on the set, have no warranty or service support, and potentially risk higher repair with the power differences. Either way is a gamble and the decision is totally up to you. Google "Taking tv from USA to Australia" and judge from there.

[D-Nice]

I know the settings from cNet are calibrated so should be fairly accurate on their unit. Not sure abouth the other two sources.

If they are all calibrated and all different, then this sounds as if it is a variation per unit. Hopefully their settings all remain fairly close. cNet's settings usually seem to be a good starting point for a calibration based on past experiences.

You forgot about the variation between meters and each calibrators "style". There are multiple ways to arrive at D65 via the calibration control set.

[MDRiggs]

I know tv sets released in Australia in the past could play both NTSC and PAL, is this also not true for sets released in the US?

Generally speaking, no. More specifically, specs I have seen for North American Panasonic plasmas have indicated support only for 60- and 24-Hz inputs.

[drfreeman60]

You forgot about the variation between meters and each calibrators "style". There are multiple ways to arrive at D65 via the calibration control set.

Excellent points. My answer was a little simplistic.

As always, thanks for your input.

[Rhialto]

Jst getting back from a vendor discussing it and seeing it for the first time. I was a bit disapointed by some panning being jerky while in THX. There's an option to get rig of this (forgot english name) but it's disabled for THX, the ST next to it was panning beautifully and what I mean is the function (with 3 levels) really works well, it wasn't looking like a gimmick.

So now I'm all mixed up. I wanted to get a VT and use THX out of the box but I can't tolerate jerky panning. Since we cannot attenuate it with the function that is disabled I wonder why I would go for THX. Is it possible to use the Cinema mode and get close to THX results? I would believe so...

One would ask, why get a VT then? I'm asking you... what I heard was that the panel and processor are a bit better and that the 96Hz in only available on the VT. Do I really need it? I really have no idea!

[MDRiggs]

What was the source? If it was a Blu-ray, make sure the player is set for 24p output. Then try viewing the offending scene with the TV set for both 96 and 60-Hz playback. See if one or the other eliminates the issue for you. If not, then you probably really do want the motion-smoother function, which is not available in THX mode. I think that THX mode is a specially optimized version of Cinema mode, and no doubt you could get better results with a good professional calibration of that or Custom than with THX out of the box. So if the unavailability of the motion smoother option in THX mode is really a deal-breaker for you, and the other VT features don't matter to you, maybe you should go with a GT50 or ST50 and put the money saved toward a calibration.

[Rhialto]

Thanks MDRiggs,

He said the source was the Kuro demo disk (with stairs panning up/left then right) with Cars too and a few others. I don't know if it was 24p but was feeded to all the TVs. The function I'm talking about is "lissage" in french and could be "motion-smoother" in english, I should have tried with english menu so I would know. There was 3 level, at the lowest on the ST we still could see it was a bit jerky but was very fin at medium. Haven't tested at high. Then on the VT the guy told me that the low level perform the same as the mid level of the ST but we have not tested it. I usually try to avoid extra processing functions but this panning smoother was working better than I've seen in the past.

He was also telling me that Cinema perform differently that other mode but I don't remember exactly what. I will have to ask again when I return. I was saying i'm a huge fan of 3D and he was saying something like only in cinema both image are full HD. I was very skeptical.

[jarias2311]

Any chance the 65VT50 goes on sale for 4th of July? Would love to upgrade to the 65 as I have the 55 right now but $1400+ for 10 inches is a little steep!

[TWD]

I just noticed that my VT50 is crooked on the pedestal. I'm not talking about one side of the display being higher then the other. Standing in front of the screen looking down at the pedestal base, the right side of the pedestal base sticks out about 1/3" more then the left side? It's no big deal. Just annoying. I'm wondering if there is a way to adjust it without taking the whole thing apart. Thanks.

[Kevin Miller]

Hi All,

Thought you might be interested in reading my review of the TC-P65VT50 here on HDJ. Go to the link below:

http://www.highdefjunkies.com/showth...981#post345981

[slb]

I just noticed that my VT50 is crooked on the pedestal. I'm not talking about one side of the display being higher then the other. Standing in front of the screen looking down at the pedestal base, the right side of the pedestal base sticks out about 1/3" more then the left side? It's no big deal. Just annoying. I'm wondering if there is a way to adjust it without taking the whole thing apart. Thanks.

FYI, it's been reported by several people that you can simply loosen the screws that attach the stand to the TV and then level the TV and retighten the screws.

[LeKnobber]

Hi Kevin,

I asked this question in the review thread, but will ask here in case you see this and not the other. How does the contrast ratio of the VT50 compare to the Kuro as opposed to black level which you said is slighly in the Kuro's favor.

Hi All,

Thought you might be interested in reading my review of the TC-P65VT50 here on HDJ. Go to the link below:

http://www.highdefjunkies.com/showth...981#post345981

[rahzel]

Hope you don't mind giving my thoughts. But these 2012 Panasonic plasmas have excellent dynamic range over last year's models thanks to the improved black levels and increased brightness. Black levels / contrast in mid-high APL content (average picture level) look very good and will look similar to a Kuro, but the VT50 doesn't quite match the Kuro for MLL or low APL content (black or mostly black screen). So in other words, you'll see a difference in dark films like The Dark Knight or Watchmen, but in brighter films like Transformers, they will look similar. That paired with reference color and the VT50 is the closest thing to a Kuro today.

[Kevin Miller]

Hi Kevin,

I asked this question in the review thread, but will ask here in case you see this and not the other. How does the contrast ratio of the VT50 compare to the Kuro as opposed to black level which you said is slighly in the Kuro's favor.

Hi LeKnobber,

A question I think is on a lot of people's minds. The Kuro will beat it in Contrast Ratio slightly because of its lower MML (better black level). I agree with rahzel's comments.

[LeKnobber]

Thanks for the insight. I do almost all my watching with some ambient light on, so it sounds like for me it will be basically the same as Kuro. I do a lot of sports watching in bright daylight as well, so the extra brightness for this year and better AR coating will be good. I am trying to hold out for 2013 and get a 70"+ VT model, but we'll see if I can make it another 9 months.

Hope you don't mind giving my thoughts. But these 2012 Panasonic plasmas have excellent dynamic range over last year's models thanks to the improved black levels and increased brightness. Black levels / contrast in mid-high APL content (average picture level) look very good and will look similar to a Kuro, but the VT50 doesn't quite match the Kuro for MLL or low APL content (black or mostly black screen). So in other words, you'll see a difference in dark films like The Dark Knight or Watchmen, but in brighter films like Transformers, they will look similar. That paired with reference color and the VT50 is the closest thing to a Kuro today.