Flashing pictures on Panasonic Z1

[StanleyAV]

Thanks for your advice and sympathy Mick (read a more full reply elsewhere

) we all know how bad things can get when we have strife with Panasonic 'features'

and their take on customer service - which is why I contrasted them with Sony.

This issue is very much a software one and probably quite sortable. This was their flagship too, and customers who invested in this pricey product should not be left up a creek without a paddle when it comes to such problems.

It is rather banal to issue a firmware fix for a teletext fault (2.506) but not for something more intrusive such as a picture processing problems.
Why hasn't Panasonic UK got an investigative team in place for such problems? So that they can be logged, reported back to Japan and resolved in good order : like all other large TV manufacturers do.
What makes them different from other brands in the market such as Sony, Philips and Samsung who do fix problems and issue relevant firmware updates?

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Stanley,

Sorry, I did mean to update you as to my situation earlier than this but once it was finally resolved, I was busy with other things.

After my last post here, I offered Panasnoic one last attempt at mediation, the outcome of which I am now happy with.

I would say that it is highly improbable that you will ever see a fix released for this as this issue is apparantly a limitation of plasma technology. This is not a view that I necessarily share as I now have a panel from a different manufacture that does not exhibit this limitation, nor did my prior testing with other Panasnoic panels show this limitation.

Best of luck,

Russ.

 

[StanleyAV]

@Russ : did you get a refund then? I don't believe this either because I can see switching to Normal mode and also switching off VIERA LINK removes the problem.

I would have expected other users to see this, unless their firmware was much earlier and the problem absent. I think reviewers would also have picked up on this at the time of review.

As I maintained earlier when problems present themselves Panasonic make excuses!! Somehow they are different from other manufacturers and don't feel the need to correct mistakes.

 

[StanleyAV]

Clare (Newsome) has had length discussions with Panasonic. They have no solution for my problem other than a full refund which they are offering. Mr King was told that these issues were a limitation of the Z1 panel.

I find this situation very irksome to say the least. Their statement does not concur with my empirical testing of the problem.

In some instances issues I encounter will vanish when switching to a lesser/inappropriate mode e.g. moving from THX/Cinema to Normal, or from Normal/Cinema/THX to Game/Dynamic modes. This points the finger at their software in a very convincing way.

Why PANASONIC more than any other manufacturer has a problem revising software when problems are reported and confirmed, is the telling question!

It is even more aggravating that they abandon software support (in effect) on their 2009/2010 flagship model; and yes it was still flagship in 2010 as evinced by their website last year - that is the year I purchased my 46" Z1.

It still puts me between a rock and a hard place, as to whether I move to a 2011 model - which still have their own issues. Plasma is still king in many respects, and Panasonic hardware does have major strengths - given the lack of high end competition currently in the marketplace.

I would have been more happy with a software solution than changing model yet again (I have had 7 Panasonic models to date with issues, the Z1 seemed to eclipse all of them!

) There will still be additional inconvenience and stress should I opt for yet another Panasonic plasma - something that they conveniently don't consider when putting a refund on the table.
This will be a tough call indeed. LCD and other makes, simply will not meet my requirements.

I thank Clare for her efforts to date, including securing an exchange of a tuner box for the Z1.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Glad we could have helped in any way.

For what it's worth, we've found Panasonic's 2011 range superb so far - should be a noticeable upgrade from your Z1.

However, I still find it odd that you're dismissing all other 'LCD and other makes' - have you really had a good look at today's TV offerings? (And I mean genuinely have a long, hard play, not get lost in forum folklore about what sets do/don't deliver).

 

[StanleyAV]

@Clare : I have had a good look at Samsung and Sony : motion and contrast appear to be the weakenesses.

If you can point out TV sets that really give plasma a run for its money, then I'm listening....

 

[micks_address]

Stanley - glad you got your refund.. i know it doesnt solve your problem.. but at least you got your money back... maybe a look for a kuro krp 500? i am very happy with my 42Vt30... but i know there are others who have major issues with the flucuating brightness on their panels.. its there on mine but to such a small extent i hardly ever notice it..

@Clare : I have had a good look at Samsung and Sony : motion and contrast appear to be the weakenesses.

If you can point out TV sets that really give plasma a run for its money, then I'm listening....

 

[StanleyAV]

WHOA micks_address, I have an offer, I haven't accepted or received it as yet!!

I am still deliberating and need to check out
the new models or even the 46" VT20 (which was more revised compared to the original 50").

I certainly can't stretch to a kuro

I did see a dealer had one for £1999 however that was without a media box, making it quite useless!!

Aren't you on other sites?

I'm sure I mailed you......