Panasonic TH42PZ85B - strange flicker problem

[admin_exported]

I've recently started noticing my 3 month old Panasonic TH42PZ85B has a flicker problem. It happens when watching DVDs and freeview in some bright/saturated areas of the screen. It is subtle, which is why it probably took me a while to notice it, but now that I have noticed it, it is very distracting. What happens is that bright areas flicker between slighty darker and full brightness, almost as if the telly is automatically compensating for over-brightness or over-saturation. The problem is consistent on the same clips when I rewind the DVD, but it is not always predictable (i.e. it doesn't happen on all bright areas).

I originally thought I had a faulty telly, but then I read this post and thought it might be a design flaw with this model (other models appear to have a similar fault). Sure enough, the problem is less noticeable in cinema mode than in normal mode (BTW I have all the other picture 'features', such as IFC, switched off) and I've also noticed that the flicker does not occur when I have the set-up menu on. So it would appear that the television is trying to compensate for something.

Has anyone else experienced this? I want to ensure that I'm getting the best picture possible on this otherwise very satisfactory telly.

 

[Anonymous]

Obviously no-one else on these forums has got (or has spotted) this flicker problem. However, if you have this screen, I'd urge you to read this thread which I have just found. It documents what seems to be a widespread issue with this model. As I said in my original post, I've found the problem is greatly reduced by setting the screen to cinema mode.