New TV, watching The Dark Knight

[Amadeus1756]

I've just bought a Panasonic TX-L32DT30B which seems pretty good.

I've been running through a few things that are important to me and I watched The Dark Knight on blu-ray (via PS3).

When the film starts, there is a scene where you see the outside of a building which has got 2 guys (baddies) in it who are about to fire a zipline across the street to a different building.

Anyway, in this scene, in the top left hand corner, there is a which building which has a sort of cross-hatch effect due to the black windows. On my TV, this building shimmers as the scene pans to the right. I've not been able to get rid of this effect (I expected going into Cinema mode would do it), and am wondering if it's particular to my specific TV.

Has anyone else seen this? And got around it?

I know WHF are doing a 32" group test for the next mag, so if someone from the mag reads this, do you think you could see if it does the same on your review model (assuming you're including this TV), and did you find a way of getting around it? As a side issue, I'm not 100% happy with contrast - I watched a programme about Poles flying in WW2 and some of the interviewees were very dark on one side (with little detail), and well lit on the other - even going to extremes in the settings, I never got to something I was completely happy with - it could have been like that on the original film, not just on my TV)

(I'm assuming *everyone* has The Dark Knight on blu-ray - I mean, other than possibly Darth Vader, has there ever been a better baddy? Even DV doesn't steal every scene he's in like the Joker does!

)

Many thanks

 

[6th.replicant]

What you're experiencing seems to be pretty common during The Dark Knight's opening sequence - which was shot using uber hi-res iMax cameras - it's very demanding of all but the most high-end kit (allegedly).

IME, the same distortion has been present on a Pana plasma, a Philips LCD and an LG plasma.

Also checkout Lucius Fox/Morgan Freeman's ties, which are prone to 'shimmer'...

 

[Amadeus1756]

Thanks for that - doesn't sound like it's specific to my TV then, which I guess is good.

I will be interested to see f any of the other TVs in the group test deal with it a little better - sounds as if they're unlikely to.

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

rgds

 

[6th.replicant]

In film/TV tech-speak, the effect is called 'strobing'. For example, it's why TV lighting directors and DoPs prefer actors/presenters not to wear striped shirts or polka-dot ties 😉

 

[micks_address]

there's a couple of things you can check - 1) Make sure all picture processing is off - disable IFC or Cinema smooth(not sure what panansonic call its on the lcds.. (i own a plasma) 2) Turn Sharpness down to 0 3) Check if your blu-ray player is outputting 24p or 60hz.. for blu-ray.. try both settings.. see if it makes any difference..

 

[Amadeus1756]

Thanks Mick, I'll give it a go tonight. I'm pretty sure that selecting Cinema profile turned all processing off, but I'll go through it again and check, along with looking to see how the PS3 is outputting the film.

thanks

 

[micks_address]

i have my ps3 set to 'auto' for 24p play... also setting sharpness to 0 might help...