Panasonic Plasma TV - Product Line-Up Hierarchy

[NorthStar]

-- The ST50 Series is the next best thing after the VT50 Series.
And is very very close in performance; you need to be a pro, and even then to see the difference.
That's why the ST Series is considered a better value. ...And they are even better than the GT Series! Very true, from measured lab tests. The GT50 (and 30) Series are just better looking (externally, design wise).
...And you pay a premium for external looks alone! ...Even if the overall performance is inferior to the ST50 (and 30) Series! ...And the ST50 (and 30) Series are easier to calibrate than its two models higher! ...Pro calibration (ISF Day & Night).

Me, knowing me and what I know, I would also have picked the ST50 Series.

But the 65" VT50 Series, for only $2,399 is now the champ in my book; performance and value wise.
And I do like the Samsung plasmas as well; their PN64E7000 Series are real nice (same performance as the PN64E8000 Series, but for less money because the E7000 is not voice/gesture control-activated), and with a nice street price as well. ...Comes in 60" size too.

Anyway, you picked the right one, and at the right price too.

 

[rbbert]

All that sounds pretty good to me! Just over a month ago I bought an ST50 55" for $1122 (US) delivered and setup.

I will say that none of the picture pre-sets quite suited me, but fortunately there are a lot of easy user adjustments.

Remember if you are using a Bluray player to set the color settings as Bob mentioned earlier in the Oppo folder; it makes a substantial difference.

 

[kach22i]

All that sounds pretty good to me! Just over a month ago I bought an ST50 55" for $1122 (US) delivered and setup.

I will say that none of the picture pre-sets quite suited me, but fortunately there are a lot of easy user adjustments.

Remember if you are using a Bluray player to set the color settings as Bob mentioned earlier in the Oppo folder; it makes a substantial difference.

I've played with the adjustments a little bit, but they can always be better. Cinema mode proved to be unworkable but held early promise.

rbbert, can you please provide a link to the color set up thread?

I have a Sony Blu-ray.

 

[rbbert]

Bob?

 

[NorthStar]

-- The Panasonic Viera TC-P55ST50 3D Plasma HDTV was reviewed in the HomeTheater mag's July 2012 issue, by Tom Norton => http://www.hometheater.com/content/panasonic-tc-p55st50-plasma-3d-hdtv

It's online. ...Check it out for good tips on some of the correct settings (my link above).

As for Color calibration, I use the WoW Blu-ray disc from Disney myself.

Now, here are some of the correct settings for your ST50 (and ST30) Panasonic plasma Series:

- Color Temperature = Warm2
- Color Space = Normal (if avail on your particular model)
- For 24-frame-per-second material (24-fps sources like Blu-ray) = 60-Hz (for both 2D and 3D viewing) --> {If 96 Khz is avail, then select it. ...For 2D only.}
- Motion Smoother = Off for 2D (for 3D set it to Weak)
- Picture Mode = Cinema for 2D (and Custom for 3D)
- C.A.T.S. (Contrast Automatic Tracking System) = Off (if avail in your model)
- HD Size = Size2 (for zero overscan)


* For Color Saturation, Hue, Contrast, Brightness, Gamma adjustments; use a good video calibration disc, like the WoW disc from Disney, or the HD Video Essentials disc, or the Blu-ray disc from Spears & Munsil, or from HQV, or Avia. ...I got them all and I like them all, but the WoW Disney disc is easy and fun to use. ...On Blu-ray of course.

_______________

-> All you need is to set yourself in the right ballpark, without being perfect, but perfect for your OWN eyes' preference.
AVS Forum has dedicated threads in your particular models, and some of the members over there are professional video calibrators; they'll give you some excellent tips. ...Just like I did above.

Another good source of info is C-net, by the pro video reviewer David Katzmaier
=> http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/panasonic-tc-p55st50/4505-6482_7-35118300.html

 

[kach22i]

Thanks NorthStar.

 

[NorthStar]

-- You're very welcome George.

Bob

 

[amirm]

Good info Bob.

 

[NorthStar]

-- ...And for the very best (when you're into it), with some of the very best displays (front projectors and top-of-the-line flat panel displays), hire a Pro Video calibrator. ...ISF certified with solid credentials (recommended by serious and intelligent people in the know).

 

[kach22i]

Now, here are some of the correct settings for your ST50 (and ST30) Panasonic plasma Series:

1. - Color Temperature = Warm2

2. - Motion Smoother = Off for 2D (for 3D set it to Weak)

3. - Picture Mode = Cinema for 2D (and Custom for 3D)

4. * For............Gamma adjustments

I'm still working on this - a work in progress.

1b. At first I could not find this mode (Warm 2), must be set to "Cinema" first, which is not clear in the article. Your notes really helped Bob/NorthStar.

2b. I'm having trouble differentiating between 2D and 3D settings.
I think I have Motion Smoother "off" for both but I'm not 100% positive.

3b. I'm having trouble differentiating between 2D and 3D settings.
I think I have it "Cinema" for both but I'm not 100% positive.

4b. I scrolled between the different Gamma settings and like 2.0 best, it was on 2.2 and a bit too punchy looking at that setting. I did not mess with the tint settings or other selections in that dialog box.

5b. The article says to set the "Black" level to "Dark" for both 2D and 3D, I have not done this because I have not seen it yet - might be called something else on my set.

I'll have to obtain some 3D source material and learn how to use it, this might help with the 3D settings.

Things in general are looking better, more natural and less dark. However I would like it a tad lighter, the lighter settings I've found tend to bleach the lighter items out too much, so I'll just live with a little dark for now while the set breaks-in.

I have very few full screen HD channels. An awful lot of 4:3 ratio channels, which means a lot of sidebar cropping because I hate the stretched out distorted look. I find the light gray sidebars to be acceptable, but some of the PBS channels also have black bars top and bottom. I avoid the "zoom" mode as picture quality is quickly diminished.

EDIT:
I just got to reading the C-net article, and was able to remove the banner ads on start up.

Also they say set the Black extension to zero (which I cannot get to - locked in gray as light) and the ACG (what ever that is) to zero.

 

[rbbert]

Put "picture" as "custom" to access some of those other options. The ones I haven't yet found are the "pixelator" controls.

 

[NorthStar]

For any new plasma HDTVs ::

1. For the first 200 hours, play only material that fills the entire screen (no black bars at bottom and top, and sides). And leave the settings at their default positions (Contrast, Brightness, ...)
2. No TV stuff with logos (just play a Blu-ray movie like 'Avatar' and put it on a loop: repeat).
3. Only the Custom mode gives you access to all the picture adjustments (Black Level, etc.)

* Black extension: Don't mess with it, leave it a zero (default setting).
Anyway, the Cinema mode is best for watching movies, and there is no Black Level there to mess around.

All the good stuff (settings) I learned over the years, is from reading reviews by the good reviewers, and also from the pro calibrators posting at sites like AVS Forum.
At the end though, after the basic standard adjustments, using a disc like WOW from Disney on
Blu-ray, and without going for the full monty (pro video calibration), and depending on the type of material you usually watch; your own eyes' preference is pretty much what it comes down to.
And when uncertain about a thing or two, just post it right here. :b

 

[kach22i]

Put "picture" as "custom" to access some of those other options. The ones I haven't yet found are the "pixelator" controls.

I found the "pixelator" one once, and set it accordingly, but I'm starting to doubt I could find it again.

Many of these settings only show up when other things governing them are already set.

I know for instance that I saw, and left alone the ACG setting, but cannot find it again, no matter what I do. And I don't dare look at the manual, nothing is in it.

I'm sure I'll keep tweaking this set for the next couple of weeks before I tire of it.

 

[kach22i]

1. For the first 200 hours, play only material that fills the entire screen (no black bars at bottom and top, and sides).

Cool, I'll leave it at the zoom setting for the 4:3 programs. It's not that bad now with all the resetting I've been doing anyway.

 

[NorthStar]

-- George, and Rob,

Your Panasonic plasma ST Series have five Picture modes (I believe).
While you may individually adjust each of these modes, apart from the Custom mode,
the settings for each mode are global and cannot be adjusted separately for each input (I also believe).
{But I might be wrong here, but I don't think so because only the VT Series have some hidden modes that can be unlocked by a trained calibrator, and also by using a dedicated computer program. And different settings can be now entered per each input (for separate ISF Day and ISF Night modes) in a given Picture mode, and for both 2D and 3D as well.}
- With the ST Series, separate settings for 2D and 3D are restricted to the Custom mode as well.

* All Panasonic plasma sets have Anti-Image retention features. ...These include:
1. A Pixel orbiter that automatically and imperceptibly moves the image (selectable).
2. An adjustment for the sidebar brightness on 4:3 sources (selectable).
3. And a scrolling bar that can help clear temporary image retention (ghosts of image past) from the screen (selectable too I believe).

_______________

- Best for 2D viewing: Cinema Picture mode (most accurate setting).
- Best for 3D viewing: Custom Picture mode (with a more desirable Gamma setting for added brightness to the dimmer 3D image, due to the 3D glasses).

_______________

If you cannot find a specific setting (adjustment) under any of the five (or six) Picture modes; it means then that it is or automatic, or not avail on your particular ST Series, or that is hidden, and usually can be opened up and locked only by a calibrator.
{But I believe this is most useful for the VT Series, with Pro settings from the Custom and ISF modes.}

_______________

The Black extension, AGC, and Countour emphasis are avail only from the Pro settings (if avail in your particular Series sets). ...And anyway they should be all set to either zero or off.

_______________

Warm 2 is the correct Color temp. control setting; like I said before.

 

[kach22i]

..........the settings for each mode are global and cannot be adjusted separately for each input (I also believe).
{But I might be wrong here...........

I had first set my TV to "Standard" with some lowering of sharpness modifications.

Then I read the article in this thread and set it to "Custom".

Then read Bob/NorthStar's bullet point post on the subject and set it to Cinema-2.

Then read the C-Net article and got rid of the start up banners.

After all that, I put in a BlueRay and double checked it, and had to change it once again to Cinema-2.

I highly suspect that the inputs are and can be adjusted separately for each input.

I'm open to suggestions.

The Cinema-2 change which I first did to the TV were very real and very welcomed for cable TV watching. I should note the introduction of a jumpy jagged line at the top of the screen on one TV commercial which I did not approve of. It used some sort of chopping banner of black, it was a HD full screen 16:9 channel, but the commercial was cut in 4:3. I don't expect to see this for the next 200 hours because I've set it to "Full" and "Zoom" for now.

The Cinema-2 change I did the second time for BlueRay (not as complete as the first time - must go back to check everything now) helped the very darkly filmed movie Real Steel in regards to some of the color saturation and intense unnatural chroma issues. The movie John Carter (of Mars) looked beautiful before, and I need to see if it got too soft now with the new settings.

 

[rbbert]

The settings are definitely separately adjustable for each input

 

[NorthStar]

The settings are definitely separately adjustable for each input

Ok, it was with the models from the previous years (ST30 Series, and before) that they weren't.
In the ST50 Series (year 2012 models) they made it now available, good.

________________

Anyhow, if my plasma would be one of the ST50 Series from Panasonic, I would use only one HDMI Input (coming out from my pre/pro's HDMI Output), and set my HDTV to Cinema (or Cinema 2) picture mode, with Warm 2 as the color temperature. That is for both Blu-rays and DVDs that I'm referring to here.

The exception would be for 3D, where I would use a different HDMI input on my HDTV,
by using a BD player like the latest Oppo ones.

As for Cable Box TV, or Satellite TV, or Download Internet TV, Streaming video, etc.; I simply don't do any TV watching at all on my HDTV (only Blu-rays at 99.9999999%, and a couple or so of DVDs per year).

See, we are all different on how we use our HDTVs, and some folks are going the full monty with the professional video calibration, and for each individual source (my pre/pro has that ISF video feature included in it; very sophisticated).
Others are doing their own video adjustments, or by using some calibration discs, or not (my HDTV is not professionally calibrated, but my future front projector, 3D & 4K, will).

Last, no TV (HDTV - flat panels or/and front projectors) is perfect; they all have their own flaws. ...Fact!
...And the same with audio, room acoustics, measurements, and all that jazz.

 

[NorthStar]

-- Furthermore, there is no real standard on picture, and on audio; from Blu-rays, DVDs, Laserdiscs, VHS tapes, Satellite TV, Youtube videos, Cable TV, etc., etc., etc.
...Even THX Reference is in error most of the time. ...ISF, Dolby, dts, ....

Each video/audio material was recreated by people with different views, and different sets of standards.
The recording/mixing/colorist engineers, the movie directors, music composers, studio executives, etc., etc., etc., all have their OWN language, and the movie director, TV executives, ... have usually the final say. ...But errors are always made during the entire process; from the cinematographer to the final transfer on Blu or whatever other medium.

Do you want the proof on that?

- At the exit of the chain, it is up to us, the viewers/listeners to adjust accordingly to our own taste. ...Because no one can impose us their own flawed rules (standards); we don't have to accept imperfection, or we can too.

Best's to be realistic about it, and do what makes us happy. ...Visually, auditorily, emotionally.

 

[kach22i]

-- Furthermore, there is no real standard on picture................

True, there is one movie which comes to mind where the director wanted a look of Green and Red for a mood affect.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amélie


And warm and cool hues are also used to affect to differentiation between reality and fantasy, between the present and the past.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457430/


Also with so many CGI special effects and editing in movies today, who is to say what is real and how it should look?