Need some Panasonic plasma technical Details.

[MacinMan]

Hi all,

As many of you know I've been searching and posting threads on several forums about display calibration for my plasma TV. After trying several sets of offsets and different user menu combinations I've come to a conclusion of what's going on.

First of All, I have a sony EX400 32" LCD in the bedroom that has a specific "theater mode" it might be the same as THX mode, i'm not sure.

the point is I've compared content on this tv in theater mode to the plasma in cinema mode. It seems like the plasma's cinema mode isn't properly calibrated. I come to this conclusion by trying the same color temp with the offsets I entered from the professional calibration offsets listed on avs forum and the same user menu settings with some tweaks, also recommended there to go with the offsets in the custom mode on the plasma and the comparison between the sony and the panny in thise case are about 95% the same if not 100& with only the difference between LCD and plasma technology making the difference.

What I've noticed about cinema mode on the plasma is the color seems too warm sometimes and the only way to change things is to turn the color setting in the user menu way down which doesn't look right.

Where in the service menu does Panasonic store the settings for each display mode? I Know where the offsets are for each color temp are e.g r.cut b.cut r.drv etc those I've got set correctly for the warm temp but cinema is doing something as a mode that's unbalanced. I want to balance it out if possible. Thanks!

[crackinhedz]

would help to know which Panny Plasma you have?

[MacinMan]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

would help to know which Panny Plasma you have?

I have the model no: TC-P42U1.

Personally I find using my settings in custom mode with the color moved up a few notches gives me a more balanced picture between video sources. What's the point of cinema mode anyway? it seems to bring out video defects more. The only thing that seems to look reliable in both modes are either new movies shot in HD originally, or color bars on my calibration disc. So in cinema mode say if the video has a defect of skin tones being too pink, the pink tones show up more. likewise in custom the skin tones blend much nicer so they stay more consistent between sources both SD or HD, both old and new sources etc.

The only advantage I can see about cinema mode is it brings out dark detail more. And the blu-ray player can do that in the display settings. And I keep the nice color blending of the TV's custom settings. Would I get a reliable picture doing it from the player end to bring out detail instead of using the TV's cinema mode?

by the way I've spent several years looking at calibrated studio monitors as a broadcast student. it seems like to get the same look at home I have to do custom instead of using the cinema mode the forums tout, unless I'm missing something. Maybe this is just an example of forum settings don't work for everyone and the professional way is to use my own

Sorry about the rant, but as a whole these flat panel TVs just don't give me consistent comfort like a CRT used to. With a CRT i could just adjust tint, maybe the contrast etc, and I'd be good to go and wouldn't need to give the settings a second thought. Ever since i've invested in flat panel TVs, both LCD, and then this panasonic being my first plasma neither one has given me a consistent look I'd say I feel "at home" with. On the plus side, the plasma, even though a lower end one, is the closest thing to a CRT i've seen in a flat panel. If anyone knows where I can find a 32 to 42" 1080p compatible CRT I'm all ears, it's going to be heavy as heck, but the look is probably going to beat both LCD and plasma and anything else NOT CRT.