Picture breakup on Panasonic 37D25 LCD

[jolylabs]

I've just bought my first LCD telly, went for Panasonic 37 inch version of the new D25. which I'd have to say is pretty stunning. but I've noticed that on some rapid changing pictures composed of white flashes or particularly flames, I see fairly large amounts of picture break up (horizontal stripes), this seems to be on all input sources - Freeview, Freesat & DVD & sky HD. I couldn't say about Blue ray as I haven't got that far yet! Since my last telly was a 26 inch Panasonic CRT I'm not sure if I just haven't seen this before! and that it's pretty normal.

Can anyone put my mind to rest on this or is ther likely to be a fault with the set?

 

[Anonymous]

I know you originally posted a couple of months ago with this problem, but I have just come accross this thread whilst researching what sounds like exactly the same problem I am having with a TX-L37S20B. I too get what appear to be lots of horizontal lines/stripes that appear to behind the image as they only show up on fast moving images or really bright flashes on screen, and it's blink and miss it stuff if you're not used to it. Have you been able to get any footage of this at all - would suggest you film it.

My situation is this - I reported it as a fault to Panasonic (an LCD TV should not do that!) at the end of October last year, a part was replaced in November and it's still doing it. Panasonic contacted Mid-Jan, TV collected and taken to workshop mid feb. So far Panasonic refuse to accept there is a problem, with their tech guy stating it is 'operating normally' What is interesting is that I have never met the engineer who said this and I know he has never even seen my TV. It is with a repair agent locally who has my footage and the disc I used in my DVD player to obtain that footage.

If you think it might help to see what my 37" screen is doing (and also a 'healthy' 26" screen on the same footage) then let me know and I'll get it onto youtube. I would though contact Panasonic straightaway, as to me it sounds like it needs a new screen/replacing.

Good luck.

 

[jolylabs]

Thanks for posting a reply to this. I would say I'm glad someone else seems to experience the same as me, but that seems mean! anyway, Here's where I'm at. I contacted the retailer (Amazon) and despite it being past the return date they sent me out a replacement set. However this set showed exactly the same effect. only this time there were other un-related issues with backlight bloom (see the actual what hifi product review & my other comments on that page) So I sent it back.

I decided that based on the two sets being identical, that there probably was no "fault" with the set. I have found that you can reduce the problem by turning on the intelligent frame correction but unfortunately that has less desirable effects. Having looked at films on Sky and compared them to the DVD in the same scenes the effect is much less prevalent. I suspect that all that is happening is that the tv is showing limitations in the in-comming signal, perhaps other sets / manufacturers have found a better way of covering up these limits. Remember that the pictures, even on DVD are still compressed and subject to losses. It's not like good old analogue telly signal that sends a whole new frame 50 times a second, you don't get something for nothing! The fact that this problem seems to be visible only under certain rapid / large picture changes, I think backs up this idea.

It's curious that very few other people seem to notice? It would be nice if someone could review how poor digital picture quality manifests itself. there seems to be very little on the net which is easy to understand. Just because it's HD doesn't guarantee its much better than SD if the bit rate is low.

Anyway, I've come to accept the "effect" as the set is out on it's own in terms of features and the picture, most of the time is stunning, and it doesn't bother my wife!

The only question is weather to go for a Blu-ray player - and will it be panasonic?

Hope you get your set back soon! and thanks for the comments.

J

 

[Anonymous]

I've got the same problem on my new Panny 32D28 TV. I've found that switching to Game picture mode when viewing an external input, such as from a PVR, eliminates the streaking, but Game mode is not available when viewing the TV's internal tuners. I find it disappointing when it is not possible to have full control over all individual settings. I'm thinking of changing to another make. Does anybody know if this streaking occurs with Sony or Samsungs? or if they have other irritating foibles?

JB

 

[Anonymous]

It sounds very strange that Panasonic released so many sets in last years line-up with so many apparent faults. I haven't got my set back, and won't be now as Panasonic are buying it back as they have no idea what's wrong with it. It does sound the same as the fault with the 32D28 though, but I can't accept that a TV should behave like that at all, especially when you have no choice but to have the image processing on.

I have already made a post on here with a link to a Youtube video showing the problem. It does sound very much the same as yours, but without seeing some footage it's hard to say. If you can I would get rid of that TV and replace it. I'm starting to think it is a problem with the Panasonic image procesing in the TV and as you can't turn it off I wouldn't accept it. I have no idea about what to get and am not sure what problems Sony or Samsung have, although I have heard Sony suffer from backlight bleed and the Samsung sets are not so good for gaming.

It appears whatever you choose there will be a sacrifice, just depends which one you want to make!

In the meantime, take a look at the video and see what you think. I'd also be interested to see the fault on yours - as I would class it as a fault, the TV simply can't cope with the data on the screen, and what's a TV for!

Greg

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, my TV behaves exactly the same as shown on your youtube link. I have turned off the resolution enhancer, motion processing and noise reduction, but there must still be some extra processing happening in all modes except Game - perhaps it's the de-interlacer! Irritating, it make action programmes unwatchable. I hope that Panasonic can issue a software fix soon.

JB

 

[jolylabs]

Seems that this problem is more widespread and perhaps it is down to panasonic after all! I've just looked at the youtube link and I can confirm that this is exactly what I am seeing - Interesting that it may not happen in Game mode - I'll give it a try! It's a bit poor show when this is supposed to be latest technology top of the range kit!

It would be nice to think Panny can fix it in software!

As others point out the feature set for the tv puts it out on it's own so what alternatives are there....

 

[strapped for cash]

I wonder if this is the LCD equivalent of the 50Hz bug reported by many owners of 2010 Panasonic plasmas?

If Panasonic didn't modify their high end UK sets to scan at 50Hz, the same may be true of their LCDs. This might explain some of the picture artifacts described above.

 

[chebby]

I got my new TX-L32D25BA home this afternoon.

Got all my settings sorted after an hour and a half and put on my 'North By Northwest' BluRay.

OMG!

B####y awful in the interior scenes whenever anyone moved or the camera panned. Lines/ghost images behind everyone and everything. (Including wallpaper and lampshade!)

Back to advanced 'set-up' menu and 'other settings'. ('Advance/ISFCC' has to be set to 'on' in set-up menu and picture mode in 'Professional'.)

Tweaked it to 24p Smooth Film 'off' and IFC 'Mid' (had IFC 'off' and 24p was at 'max' beforehand) and started BluRay again.

Sorted

(TV was going back to the shop tommorow otherwise!)

Next in is 'Collateral' for some faster action to ensure it is cured. (Although I have a headache from fretting over all the settings and menus and instructions so two Neurofens and a cuppa first.)

But the picture quality on this thing is amazing!

 

[jolylabs]

Interesting to read your trials with blu-ray.

I've gone no further than Sky's HD, I found the inteligent frame thing best left off because of the "halo" you see around moving objects, particularly people moving with a detailed background. Although the IFC does stop most of the "striping" I find The "Halo" really distracting I suggest you trial Telly programs and make sure you're ok with it. For my sins I watch a lot of CSI etc and the constant fast fades and flashes pick real holes in the performance. I think as I've suggested before that anything less than the highest Quality signals / bit rates leaves the set floundering and it's nearly impossible to get a good compromise.

Mind you when the picture content is the right for the telly - wow!

Testing the Game Mode at present picture:

settings: Viewing=Game mode, CATS= Off, P-NR= Off then in settings,other settings, power save = ON, Overscan = Off, Resolution Enhancer= Off, IFC not available in Game mode.

 

[chebby]

I spend an hour trying out SD first (no Freeview HD here yet) and it was fine. Got rid of all the usual suspects (sharpening etc.) to improve the picture then moved onto BBC iPlayer (standard and 720p) then a couple of DVDs - upscaled - that I know represent excellent and natural colours (especially for landscapes, skies etc). Then a couple of bits of Bond DVDs (the remastered ones are superb) and a couple of interior sequences from episodes of 'The Sopranos' (in Uncle Junior's house) that I know were impeccably filmed.

Then BluRays. That's when I had to tweak a bit for what you described. No artifacts when going back to SD (except minimally on a couple of really rubbish channels that I would never watch anyway and are probably always like that whatever TV is used!)

The (TV speakers) sound also fell into place once I set it to 'less than 30cm from wall' or whatever it was called exactly.

Digital optical into my M-CR603 (from the S370) was great and there are no lip-sync issues with what's on screen whether DVD, BluRay or iPlayer.

Black suits in low light situations still show folds/creases and slightly different shades. I put a movie on that has black 'bars' top and bottom (2.35:1) and turned off the lights to check for any evidence of LED 'bleed' and found none.

I have now watched about an hour of 'Collateral' and no 'funny business' going on at all during sudden action or rapid movement.

I have also written down all the settings as I go along and put them in with the instructions in case I forget them.

Going to watch 'Remains of The Day' next when we sit down for supper.

 

[jolylabs]

So, I've been using the set in "game mode" now for some time and all the picture breakup has gone, I guess that means that I've turned off all that picture processing stuff that I've paid for! only problem is you can't adjust the aspect ratio, not really a problem for me. As soon as I'm watching the set on freesat or freeview or watching stuff recoreded from these sources via the hard disk all the problems come back, as pointed out you can't select game mode on these channels. so there it is. good job I watch sky or DVD's mainly.

I'm keeping the set as it "works" for me, but I can see a very large percentage of people being very disapointed once they realise or start to see these big problems!.........

 

[Anonymous]

many thanks for this thread, i am on my second 32d28bp tv in 3 weeks because of all the flickering on the picture during certain action scenes, my second set arrived on saturday with the same problem and about 30% light seepage on the screen, after phoning the dixons help line the light seepage problem was easily solved with a couple of button presses on the tv and remote. i will try the game mode this evening in the hope that the flickering problem disapears, which begs the question will PANASONIC bother to tell us what is switched off in game mode preset that seems to be switched on in all the other presets so that repairs can be made under warranty and aside from this the tv has superb picture quality with dvd and blu-ray and if you really want to see the the tv lose the plot then i suggest the blu-ray of KICK-ASS ( the scene when they are about to be unmasked). i would also love to know what the independant repair mans makes of this tv. i have e-mailed panasonic about this problem, but i ain't holding my breath for an honest answer. did i expect too much of this tv, even at the knockdown price of £379?.

 

[jolylabs]

I'm Glad the thread has been of use. I'm happily enjoying my set now, rather than getting wound up by this wierd problem than goodness for Game mode!!!

. I think Panasonic should look closely at this issue! and any future reviews should look carefully at this issue (if any reviewers are listening!) If PAnasonic don't know what it is then chances are it exists in the 2011 models!