LCD/Plasma/CRT/DLP - questions

['Press Start']

Sometimes on the BBC channels you can get rid of the 'press red button' logo by pressing the green button on your remote.

I use it to get rid of the 'come and play red button logo on Cbeebies!

[Rossco]

You can ALWAYS get rid of those pop up red button things. Just find the right button on the remote. My Samsung TV it's Green. But on my Virgin box it's Blue. So just press away until it's gone.

[SmokeMeAKipper]

Thanks - I've managed to do it in the Sky options menu, there's an option to timeout those banners so they only stay on for a minute or so. A pity I didn't do that when I first got it!

[Shozuki]

right so im ready to change the Pioneer for another TV. Am I right in thinking the VT30 is the go to screen now?

Heres what im after:

- Screen must be over 60"
- Hopefully have as accurate image quality as the Kuro range
- 3D support
- HDMI inputs etc arent important.

So.. Am I right its worth changing my Kuro for a 65" VT30 then or is there something else?

Cheers in advance!

[Lyris]

Can I ask, why get rid of the Pioneer - is it just 3D?

The Panasonics are still not as accurate as the Kuros because they have fluctuating gamma. Moreover the black level still isn't quite as deep. There are up-sides, too though.

Don't get me wrong, the VT30s are surely the best PDPs on the market right now, but they do have some issues left and the 3D is still in the early stages. None of this would be worth mentioning, but you're coming from a Pioneer - which one? If it's one of the last Kuro models then you will be cross-grading rather than upgrading.

[Shozuki]

Can I ask, why get rid of the Pioneer - is it just 3D?

The Panasonics are still not as accurate as the Kuros because they have fluctuating gamma. Moreover the black level still isn't quite as deep. There are up-sides, too though.

Don't get me wrong, the VT30s are surely the best PDPs on the market right now, but they do have some issues left and the 3D is still in the early stages. None of this would be worth mentioning, but you're coming from a Pioneer - which one? If it's one of the last Kuro models then you will be cross-grading rather than upgrading.

Well I'm looking to change due to the size of my Pioneer and the fact I cant use my JVC X3 Projector all the time. So I thought I'd try and kill 2 birds with one stone. But it sounds best to maybe try and find a KRP-600 (I currently have a KRP-500) with my X3 instead of getting a VT30.

[koopatroopa90]

Anyone had experience with/own the Toshiba 42VL863? Was looking to get the LG 42LW550T but the Toshiba allegedly uses the same panel and is dirt cheap at the moment. Really I want it to be worse though as don't really want to be buying for another month and a bit!

Edit: Viewed it today and have ordered online. Brilliant price (at Currys if anyone cares!) and 3D effect was amazing, much better than it was on my old Samsung C7000. No weirdness with the motion either which seems to be common on many TVs these days. Can't wait for it to arrive!

[SUMIRE]

Anyone know if its "common" for plasma to have what looks like static, kind of like tiny green dots on dark section of the picture that move. I just bought a panasonic having owned a LCD, granted i'm stood a about a foot away though. They can be lessened by reducing the brightness but obviously if you do it too much you lose detail. I mainly get it in the "Game" preset and "normal", but not the "cinema/true cinema" preset mode.

[gIzzE]

Yeah it is, the green phosphors light first and so will show up in very dark greys.
It is also an excellent way to set your black levels, put something up with black bars top and bottom and ruduce the brightness till the black bars are solid, no lit pixels, and look completely clean, this is as black as you set goes and should be where the brightness should be set.

You can adjust gamma to then get it looking how you want it to look.

[gIzzE]

Normal and Game tend to have a lower gamma than cinema, so come out of black quicker, hence you will see them easier.

[SUMIRE]

Yeah it is, the green phosphors light first and so will show up in very dark greys.
It is also an excellent way to set your black levels, put something up with black bars top and bottom and ruduce the brightness till the black bars are solid, no lit pixels, and look completely clean, this is as black as you set goes and should be where the brightness should be set.

You can adjust gamma to then get it looking how you want it to look.

Awesome, thanks for the info mate.

[SUMIRE]

Hmm, had a play with my new TV over the weekend. I still can't decide if I made the right choice between getting this one - TX-P42S30B plasma, or going for the TX-L42E30B LCD. I'm just thinking maybe the LCD would be better for my lighting conditions and have a more monitor like picture, which I seem to prefer. I just cant get over the fact that the screen isn't "crisp" like on LCD, and the whole idea of blacks/greys on plasma having these green moving pixels kind of bugs me. The thing is, I would have to pay another ?100 if I wanted to go to the LCD which seems a bit of a rip off really. Also, I'm kind of worried about the motion blur although I think LCD are meant to be a load better these days.

[Lyris]

It's odd that you say the screen isn't crisp - both LCD and Plasma can resolve all 1920x1080 pixels, and unlike an LCD, a Plasma will keep more of that sharpness during motion.

They both look very different, that's for sure, but it's definitely not the case that LCD is crisper.

[SUMIRE]

Well, I loaded up the 360 dash on my plasma and a LCD and the plasma actually blurred when moving from item to item, the LCD didn't, maybe mine is faulty or something... anyway I after playng around I have to admit the colours are miles better on the plasma so I am going to stick with it although I'm going to send this one back and pay a bit more and get a 3D one :P

[Lyris]

Hm, it could be an individual thing then. Motion isn't perfect on either, but most LCDs look much blurrier (at least to my eyes) because of the way they're driven. A Plasma is actually black inbetween frames which essentially 'resets' your eye and - for most people - makes motion seem sharper. Everyone's different though.