HDTV Plasma for PC monitor

[2Charlie]

Okay, sorry to make this thread very long. I've just noticed that every so often (maybe 10 minute or so) some texts on certain window, the texts will turn slightly bold for a second or so then disappears. Any clue?

[cheesy999]

Originally Posted by 2Charlie

Okay, sorry to make this thread very long. I've just noticed that every so often (maybe 10 minute or so) some texts on certain window, the texts will turn slightly bold for a second or so then disappears. Any clue?

It'll be either an image enhancement setting in your TV, or something to stop the picture burning in.

[2Charlie]

Originally Posted by cheesy999

It'll be either an image enhancement setting in your TV, or something to stop the picture burning in.

Could this be the pixel shift orbiter to prevent image burn since this is a plasma tv?

[theJesus]

I think that's a possibility.

[Frag Maniac]

Originally Posted by 2Charlie

I'm happy to report back that I solved the problem of overscan. In the Menu/Picture/HD Size, I chose "Size 2" and it fixes the overscan issue. It's now working great.

Wow, had this set a while now and I hadn't even noticed that setting for some reason. Actually it's Menu\Picture\Aspect adjustments though, wherein both Screen format and HD size are listed.

I did some further checking though and I was right that you want it set to Full (but with HD size 2) as you said. HD Size 1 only gives you 95% of the image vs 100%. With those settings you should set Resize (dropdown box that says Select the desktop resize mode reported to the display) in NCP to "Do not report", which is Off basically.

I think what was said about that latest issue is likely the anti burn-in feature as mentioned. They do come with tradeoffs, but so do LCDs.

[2Charlie]

I want to say thank you so much for all those who chimed in and helped me out on this issue. I'm 90% happy with what I have right now.

Thanks again!

[Frag Maniac]

Did you get the flashing and text problems solved? I take it you turned off C.A.T.S.?

[2Charlie]

Originally Posted by Frag Maniac

Did you get the flashing and text problems solved? I take it you turned off C.A.T.S.?

No. The C.A.T.S. is turned off. I'm not sure what C.A.T.S. does.

[Frag Maniac]

Like I explained above it's Contrast Automatic Tracking System. It basically adjusts contrast and lighting on the fly, and it can cause subtle flashing.

[2Charlie]

Originally Posted by Frag Maniac

Like I explained above it's Contrast Automatic Tracking System. It basically adjusts contrast and lighting on the fly, and it can cause subtle flashing.

I did have the CATS turned off and I still have the texts getting slightly bold for a second then back to normal again. You know, it's like the Windows Clear Text thing was turn on temporary for a second then turned off again.

[Frag Maniac]

The only anomaly I've seen that's associated with ClearType is after I tune it in and enable it, some text can look slightly reddish, but only ones with lines close together, like back to back Ls (ll). It only happened with my previous CRT display though. I don't really notice it on my LCD.

It must be the way Panasonic does the orbitaling for burn-in resistance that's messing with text a bit. It makes sense because static fonts on a high contrast background would be one of the things it tries to resist burning in.

I've never heard of anyone saying it's that noticeable though. Maybe you should have the set checked or RMA or return it if it's an option. At the very least I would try and find a set like that locally and see if you can hook it up to a laptop or something to find out if you can recreate the problem.

[2Charlie]

Thanks, Frag. The video and image look fantastic but it's just the texts -- not sure what's going on.

[qubit]

Originally Posted by 2Charlie

Thanks, Frag. The video and image look fantastic but it's just the texts -- not sure what's going on.

The pixel orbiter by definition will affect the text, since the pixels sent from the PC aren't aligned with those of the screen. You should and do see the effect on fine detail, such as text. The effect may be more obvious on non-antialased text too, since it has no fuzzy edges to hide things like this.

In short, we need better technology than plasma and LCD for our displays. Those upcoming OLED TVs and monitors should look fantastic and will hopefully solve all the problems at once.

[2Charlie]

Originally Posted by qubit

The pixel orbiter by definition will affect the text, since the pixels sent from the PC aren't aligned with those of the screen. You should and do see the effect on fine detail, such as text. The effect may be more obvious on non-antialased text too, since it has no fuzzy edges to hide things like this.

In short, we need better technology than plasma and LCD for our displays. Those upcoming OLED TVs and monitors should look fantastic and will hopefully solve all the problems at once.

I hope those OLED TV are cheap because the way it looks right now, it's darn expensive!

[qubit]

Oh, they'll stay pricey for some time, unfortunately.

They still haven't sorted out the lifetime problem of OLEDs properly, yet. Once they do, it'll likely go mainstream.

I don't know why they can't use the ordinary type of LED instead of these organic types, but there must be a good reason for it, or they would have done so long ago.

[CJCerny]

Okay...I'll chime in here. I'll start by saying that this problem appears often in the forum postings (burry text when displaying PC output on a TV) and that I don't think we've ever really solved one successfully. Personally, this has been my experience as well. I've owned several big screen TV's in the past 10 years or so and have never seen one that displayed anything as sharply as a dedicated PC monitor does.

I think the main problem is that your TV just isn't really built to be used as a PC monitor. I think all the logic that they use to properly display and format the output of cable box, Blu-ray player, etc. does not play well with the output of a PC and that there isn't any option to defeat that logic in the menu of your TV. Why do I think that? Two reasons: one, if you look further up Panasonic's model line, the GT series does have a dedicated PC input and controls in the menu for the same. Two, screw with all the video card driver settings that you want to, but you can then connect that same video card to a dedicated PC monitor and the output will be razor sharp.

Call me an idiot if you want to, but know this first...I've never seen a big screen TV that didn't have dedicated PC input options on it display text clearly. If you have that feature, the text output from your PC will be razor sharp. If you don't, you will never be able to get it sharp, no matter what you do. Hope I'm wrong, but personal experience says I am not.

[2Charlie]

You're stating the obvious, if HDTV is as good/sharp as dedicated PC monitors, who buys a dedicated pc monitor for the price they are right now? I'm not looking for a razor sharp texts. I understand the sacrifice; however, I was talking about the texts kept changing to bold and back. It has nothing to do with razor sharp texts.

[qubit]

@CJCerny

The good news is that you are wrong - sorta.

I had an LG 32" LCD TV for a short time (motion smear was terrible) and successfully used it as a monitor and yes the picture was razor sharp. However, I did have to fiddle around with the settings in the driver control panel and the TV configuration to achieve this, which seems to be common to just about every TV out there and in this respect you're right.

Perhaps the TVs you tried just happened to suck so bad that they couldn't give a proper PC display regardless of setting, or perhaps you just missed something, I have no idea as I wasn't there.

And yeah, it's good you're wrong, because it means that it is possible to use a TV and have as clear a picture as with a monitor.

[Frag Maniac]

Originally Posted by qubit

They still haven't sorted out the lifetime problem of OLEDs properly, yet. Once they do, it'll likely go mainstream.

I don't know why they can't use the ordinary type of LED instead of these organic types, but there must be a good reason for it, or they would have done so long ago.

Personally I don't get why SO many manufacturers are looking at OLED vs PLED when...1, OLED is a KODAK invention involving royalties, plus KODAK due to clinging to film vs adapting to digital is pretty much bankrupt and incapable of improving the tech. 2, the organic vs polymer substance used is susceptible to corrosion from humidity. 3, PLED diodes have been tested long ago to last upwards 100,000 hrs, pretty much the lifespan of a CRT tube.

Point number 2 is why it's taking so long and they're having to resort to ideas like starting with a black and white picture with a color filter applied, much like DLP uses. Isn't that just an extra, unnecessary, more costly step, when PLED has shown to have no such deficiencies? It's like they're taking big steps backward to try and go forward.

Regular diodes would not work in this type of application though, and would make a few of the points of using OLED or PLED a bit moot. For one, standard LEDs are not color accurate like OLED/PLEDs are. Two, current standard LEDs are far too big to use one per pixel as OLED/PLEDs can be. Three, OLED/PLED tech can literally be ink jetted onto a super thin substrate, which can even be curved, which should eventually mean very inexpensive mass production. Four, using LEDs, even if it were possible, would be a power, heat, controller nightmare, and just as if not more expensive.

If you want to learn more about PLED, look up Cavendish Labs. They were a group of students at Cambridge University UK that discovered PLED and later formed their own laboratory. The only big TV name I've seen backing them is Philips, though why, I don't know. It's been a while since I checked though. I think there's probably FAR too much politics involved in electronics industries as large as TV manufacturing.