Pana 42px80 running in + set up

[Dan.m]

Just had my TV delivered (42 PX80). I seem to remember on the forum something on running in plasma's (reduced contrast??). Also any advice on the picture and sound set up. I know this has been covered somewhere before but i cant find it. Thanks.

 

[SpiceWeasel]

Have a look at this video. Shows you how to setup your tv with the THX optimiser found on some dvd's. The factory settings will probably be miles off as they default to look good in a brightly lit show room, so the contrast and brightness will be turned up way to high for home viewing.

Just set it up with the THX optimiser and enjoy your new tv. My plasma needed re-optimising after 100 hours or so once it had run in.

 

[Dan.m]

Thanks spice. When you said 100hr run in time - how exactly did you run it in. I have in set on cinema 50% contrast and 50 % brightness. Is this about right?

 

[Anonymous]

I didn't run my px80 in. I used zoom on any channels with bright logos and changed channel at the adverts (a habit more than anything)for the 1st 200 hrs. Never had a prob.

As far as settings..I used this and then a lot later used a THX optimiser and didn't have to change a thing.

Trust me, I haven't changed it since and it still THX optimal.

 

[SpiceWeasel]

With todays technology you don't really need to worry about running in a plasma. This all came about from plasma's from a few years ago where image retention or screen burn was more likely to happen within the 1st 100 hours or so. Once run for 100 hours or so the phosphurs in the screen "hardened" and retention or screen burn was alot less likely to happen. So it was recomended to use reduced settings during the running in period.

Todays technology has moved on alot and retention or screen burn is very unlikely to happen as long as you don't seriously abuse it. By that I mean using extreme levels of brightness/contrast or leaving static images on the screen for several hours.

All I did was set it up with the THX optimiser as the factory settings where miles off and by doing this the contrast/brightness was alot less than the factory settings not to mention the much improved picture quality. For peace of mind more than anything I tried to avoid watching channels with constant channel logo's or ticker tapes for long periods of time. Although on most SKY channels the channel logo's disapear during the adverts anyway. I also turned ON the picture overscan so the whole screen was being used equally.

As my Pany was my 1st plasma I decided to take it easy for the 1st 100 hours by doing the above although to be honest I had nothing to worry about. I had a tiny amount of image retention when it was brand new after a 5 hour gaming session on my PS3. But a few seconds of normal tv viewing and it was fine. I havn't noticed anything since then, a few weeks ago I woke up in the morning with the tv still on and my SKY box had locked up and was showing a static image. God knows how many hours it was displaying a static image for but I feared the worse and reset the SKY box. It was absolutely fine though, no image retention or anything else.

After 50-100 hours you will notice that your tv will run alot cooler then when it was brand new. The screen is at it brightest/hottest during the 1st 50-100 hours. Your picture settings might need a tweak as well so just use the optimiser again. My settings needed a bit of tweaking but not by very much.

If your worried just take it easy for the 1st 100 hours and set it up with the optimiser, although you really have nothing to worry about.

 

[Anonymous]

SpiceWeasel:

For peace of mind more than anything I tried to avoid watching channels with constant channel logo's or ticker tapes for long periods of time. Although on most SKY channels the channel logo's disapear during the adverts anyway.

Interesting that the channels take their logos down for their commercial sponsors, but not for their paying customers. Kind of shows how much contempt they have for their customers.

 

[Anonymous]

Check this link: http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/Panasonic-TH42PX80/Settings/

I had mine running on "Normal" mode with (much) reduced contrast and luminosity for the first 2 weeks. Probably didn't reach the 200 hour mark but I couldn't wait to run it properly.

Mine switches itself to Cinema whenever I play a DVD/BD and for "normal" telly I just use the "Normal" mode.

I'll post my settings tomorrow maybe as now the tv is switched off.

The one thing I watch though is for (long) paused images from the Wii. But so far it's been pretty good.

Enjoy!