Panasonic ZT60 (now ZT65)

[Deleted member 2457]

I think gel will be making a purchase sometime soon.

Second hand GT50 anyone?

GT50 is staying whatever for sure - I love it! Can't you tell?

Might just get moved into another room - will see. Might see if there are any announcements from Panasonic like we are quitting plasmas then I probably will.

If you want to sell me your GT50, subject to suitable audition for screen uniformity problems, and put the money toward a ZT, you'd have my attention!

The ZT60 won't fit on my stand and I think it is a little bit out of my price range, I will be reading all the reviews and comments with interest though. Just doing a YouTube video of some football so you can check it out, but no I will definitely be keeping the GT50.

 

[BenLaw]

Nice avatar, strapped! :cheers:

Cheers BB. I think it works on a number of levels.

The main level it works on being actually having an avatar!

 

[strapped for cash]

The main level it works on being actually having an avatar!

Yeah, there's that one; but it's also political comment, a statement of sensibility, and hi-fi forum appropriate.

 

[bigboss]

A very interesting read about plasmas:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/avforums-news-notices/1746846-2013-plasmas-last-stand.html

 

[Anonymous]

A very interesting read about plasmas: http://www.avforums.com/forums/avforums-news-notices/1746846-2013-plasmas-last-stand.html [/quote]

3 cheers !

 

[Deleted member 2457]

I am getting there with the YouTube video - forgot how to do it!

 

[Deleted member 2457]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb8dCcjGAGU

No dirty screen, no vertical banding, no lines, no braking up of screen - perfect!

If you need more, just let us know.

 

[strapped for cash]

Cheers Gel.

I can't see any problem on that video (admittedly it's not always easy to tell from a youtube video).

Consider yourself extremely lucky. A GT50 without this issue is definitely a keeper!

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

I don't doubt your word that yours is free from DSE, but DSE is not prominent enough to be seen on a you tube vdeo in my opinion.

 

[ellisdj]

I am going to add more to this when I can - however I have just bought Calman and a new C3 colouromiter from Spectracal - this is what most reviewers and calibrations use its very good software, but with a better sensor, not that the C3 isnt excellent it is, it's more than accurate enough for 10-90% greyscale and full colour.

i have just recalibrated my lx5090 using it and for the first time my results are very close to perfection and I seriously mean that - I will add to his when I can with my results which are astonishingly good!!

with a contrast of 34 I have needed +6 colour to get all the colours well under 3 DE which is the accepted /target level

therefore if the 600a was set as in the pictures @ 35 contrast and -3 colour it's miles away from where it should be, needs to be.

not taking away from facts that the ZT will be better as it will but I think the differences on that day would have been much much closer if the set had been calibrated!

I did see a Panny TV plasma I think in the onkyo section of Bristol S&V yesterday. The blacks were crap but the image was excellent and with the stupid intelligent frame creation on the image was amazingly 3D for 2D - very impressive to see even if not very real world/accurate.

 

[strapped for cash]

I have just bought Calman and a new C3 colouromiter from Spectracal

Pleased to hear you're getting great results with the meter and software. I've been contemplating a colorimeter/spectro purchase for a while. The C3 might be the best option for my budget.

Can I ask where you bought the Calman and C3 package from and at what price?

 

[ellisdj]

I bought it direct from Spectracal - it cost £290 dollars £194 for the C3 and Calman basic -it took 2 days to be delivered from Seattle paid the extra dollar for express delivery.

its good software much better than HCFR and my results have far exceeded what I did with HCFR and an I1 Display 2 that drifted badly in the year I owned it.

its easy to use, I only started yesterday and have done 4 cals before I have fully worked it out so not long at all. I highly recommend it my results are better than they achieved in the HD TV test calibration as this software wasn't available - so happy days go me !!

 

[strapped for cash]

I assumed you'd bought from the US and I'm guessing there were customs charges on top.

The shifting accuracy of more affordable colorimeters, particularly over time, has put me off buying until now. As the C3 is a relatively new model, is there any way we can be sure of its longer term accuracy?

Obviously the price of the meter, software, shipping and customs is pretty close to paying for a professional calibration using more expensive equipment, the accuracy of which is regularly checked/maintained.

This is what I've always wondered about DIY advanced calibration. How do users know the meter is accurate in the first place? The graphs may fall into place, but if the meter is off, the resulting image will be wrong. The DIY calibrator may sit back under the illusion that the image is accurate, when in fact it's some way off target.

I'm not suggesting any of this is true of your equipment and calibration, and I'd have more confidence in the C3 that an i1 or colormunki, but how can you have absolute confidence in your results?

It isn't my intention to be challenging; I'm really letting my thoughts on DIY advanced calibration to spill onto the page.

 

[ellisdj]

Well it arrived brand new - if its off then any metre can be off you buy- how do you know the calibrator coming has an upto date calibrated colouromiter, truthfully you don't - you have to trust - I can see what's its done, I am one happy punter!

you have to suffer the limited life of any colouromiter - they told me if kept in the right conditions you will get 2 years which is good enough for me. Do you know someone you can go halves with - make it a fair bit cheaper for yourself

its cheaper to buy new than get calibrated so to buy another metre isn't that expensive as you own the software for life.

 

[strapped for cash]

I agree, we also have to trust that a professional calibrator's meter is accurate. Whichever route we go, we're placing faith in technology to achieve a desired result. I guess above all else, I'm arguing that there isn't a failsafe method of achieving picture perfection (indeed, no picture will be perfect as television technologies have their differences and limitations).

In any case, I'm glad you're achieving results you're delighted with. Of everyone I know off-forum, there isn't a single person I can think of that would be obsessive enough to go halves on a colorimeter and software. Everyone I know has a small, relatively cheap LED TV, with issues far more disturbing than I'm having with the GT50 (which is not the same as saying I think darker and lighter vertical columns on some content are fine).

If anyone on-forum lives in or around the north-east midlands and fancies going halves, I'd be happy to give it a go. Before that, I need a TV I'm happy to calibrate. If I ultimately return the GT50, there's no sense investing time and money in improving its performance.

 

[ellisdj]

This is my result report from my calibration yesterday - I hope it comes out ok on here

http://imageshack.us/a/img703/9706/calibrationresults.jpg

The calibration results of this TV is one of the reasons it was so raved about and given reference status - I have managed to get a grey scale that is extremelely low average of less than 1DE with only 2 point greyscale adjustment. Instead of the 10 point that the newer pannys have and the KRP raneg has

I have also got the colours all below 3 DE with no colour adjustments except for the colour saturation which is set on +6 - thats quality of manufacturing and design

The Gamma so nearly perfectly tracks 2.2 all the way along - a better calibrator could probs tweak that to get closer as well but I doubt its worth the effort and probably the best bit of the calibration is my whites marry up perfectly, That is with no gamma adjustments unlike again on the newer Panasonics

Coupled with the inky blacks this sets does, that most sets cannot do - its happy days really - I just wish it was bigger now

And the best bit - I have doen it all myself

 

[strapped for cash]

This is my result report from my calibration yesterday - I hope it comes out ok on here

http://imageshack.us/a/img703/9706/calibrationresults.jpg

The calibration results of this TV is one of the reasons it was so raved about and given reference status - I have managed to get a grey scale that is extremelely low average of less than 1DE with only 2 point greyscale adjustment. Instead of the 10 point that the newer pannys have and the KRP raneg has

I have also got the colours all below 3 DE with no colour adjustments except for the colour saturation which is set on +6 - thats quality of manufacturing and design

The Gamma so nearly perfectly tracks 2.2 all the way along - a better calibrator could probs tweak that to get closer as well but I doubt its worth the effort and probably the best bit of the calibration is my whites marry up perfectly, That is with no gamma adjustments unlike again on the newer Panasonics

Coupled with the inky blacks this sets does, that most sets cannot do - its happy days really - I just wish it was bigger now

And the best bit - I have doen it all myself

Great job. If you fancy some practice, you can come round and calibrate my TV!

 

[jeffro]

This is my result report from my calibration yesterday - I hope it comes out ok on here

http://imageshack.us/a/img703/9706/calibrationresults.jpg

The calibration results of this TV is one of the reasons it was so raved about and given reference status - I have managed to get a grey scale that is extremelely low average of less than 1DE with only 2 point greyscale adjustment. Instead of the 10 point that the newer pannys have and the KRP raneg has

I have also got the colours all below 3 DE with no colour adjustments except for the colour saturation which is set on +6 - thats quality of manufacturing and design

The Gamma so nearly perfectly tracks 2.2 all the way along - a better calibrator could probs tweak that to get closer as well but I doubt its worth the effort and probably the best bit of the calibration is my whites marry up perfectly, That is with no gamma adjustments unlike again on the newer Panasonics

Coupled with the inky blacks this sets does, that most sets cannot do - its happy days really - I just wish it was bigger now

And the best bit - I have doen it all myself

 

[ellisdj]

Forget what you know or think you know about a Kuro - until you have seen one calibrated like this then you have never seen one before......

I have owned this Plasma since new and for about 2 1/2 years now and have always been impressed but didnt realise it could be this good.

I thought I had seen all it had to offer but boy was I wrong - I have just had time this lunch time to test some films scenes I know well - Tron, Avengers, Batman DK Rises and Avatar - I have seen these scenes many many times.

To go from out of the box settings to a good greyscale calibration like I had before was nothing short of amazing - the difference was incredible and was like owning a new TV - I have mentioned that before. At the time I had never seen anything like it, however I knew it wasnt perfect.

Now that calibration was only ok but now with this new calibration and switching it to Drive Mode 3 I am finally seeing what all the fuss was about with this display - It is absolutely awesome - I dont think it puts a foot wrong in anywhere you can critique it and thats not me being a fan boy thats me being very honest. I used to think it had flaws but that was in the setting up and in the settings

The 60" version must be something else, I would love to see one, or better yet have one - If Panasonic have beat this with the ZT then it is going to be something to behold - I cant wait to see it

 

[BenLaw]

ellisdj, now you have measuring equipment, perhaps you could do some hdmi cable swaps and see whether there is any measurable difference? I am also looking forward to your views re the author of that book on the other thread.

 

[ellisdj]

I can try and do that - its not a bad idea - very interested to know myself,

If there are any difference to be seen now with that calibration they will be seen

 

[strapped for cash]

Well, that'll tell you whether the cables used have any influence on greyscale and colour accuracy. Not sure this would be the definitive word on the subject, though.

To add to such a test, it'd interesting to take MLL and peak white output readings using a full black then full white screen, and an ANSI checkerboard pattern. Some reviews claim that HDMI cables produce inky blacks and jaw dropping contrast levels...

 

[ellisdj]

Thast the only tests you can do - and checking colour accuracy - to me its the moving image where HDMI's are seperated in their performance more so than still images, althought I can still see clear differences in general display properties.

I will be testing when I can dont you worry

 

[Andrew Everard]

Just been informed by Panasonic that some series designations will be different for the UK, so have amended thread title accordingly.

European DT60 becomes DT65 in UK

WT60 becomes WT65

VT60 becomes VT65

ZT60 becomes ZT65

 

[ellisdj]

read that wrong - sorry