Panasonic VT30

[Anonymous]

I’m having issues with the VT30 too – primarily the 65″ model. The light output is a rather gloomy 17fL, have tried two TVs and both the same.
Am using an EyeOne meter, any ideas? Is there a panel brightness setting?
I have one client who is very unhappy with picture quality 🙁

Edited to add that the picture, particularly in daylight is pretty lifeless (this is the TV in our demo room).

Further edited to say Panasonic UK say that the light ouput is down due to reduction in power consumption from 2010! Suggested adjusting VSUS in the service menu, but t his has made little difference.

[Anonymous]

Martin, if you’re using THX mode there is no panel brightness selection. If you are using ISF Day or night, there is.
I use mid PB for ISF Day. I used small window patterns and typically get in the mid 40’s for the 65″ for ISF Day. I see little advantage to reducing the contrast below 100 (no discoloration or clipping up to about 245) in the ISF modes.
Keep in mind the ISF modes are super quirky, and THX is the wisest choice for all but the most determined and patient.
Here’s my latest 65VT30 cal report.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, I need to check out how to get the ISF modes then. All we get is Professional 1 and 2, but I don’t see panel brightness.
We use small patterns too, but not sure what’s wrong if both TVs only measure 17, and both pictures are relatively dim..

[Anonymous]

@Martin Redwood 3228 wrote:

Thanks, I need to check out how to get the ISF modes then. All we get is Professional 1 and 2, but I don’t see panel brightness.
We use small patterns too, but not sure what’s wrong if both TVs only measure 17, and both pictures are relatively dim..

What contrast setting are you using, and what size windows for the measurement?

I have not done a 65″ yet. First one booked for 2 weeks time, but all the other sizes have maxed out at around 28ftl in the pro modes with patterns from the accupel. We do not get the panel brightness option in the UK settings.

EDIT: we do not get the isf modes in the UK, we get the professional modes instead

[Anonymous]

I’m away for a few days so will check what size patterns, we used an Accupel and I’m certain we didn’t use full frame windows.
Regardless of the meter readings the picture is noticeably dim, even with contrast on max. Room needs to be fully darkened for the image to start looking passable.

I wonder if it’s EU regs that have reduced the power for Europe – would make sense, especially as we don’t have panel brightness..

[Anonymous]

@Ricky Jennings 3230 wrote:

What contrast setting are you using, and what size windows for the measurement?

I have not done a 65″ yet. First one booked for 2 weeks time, but all the other sizes have maxed out at around 28ftl in the pro modes with patterns from the accupel. We do not get the panel brightness option in the UK settings.

EDIT: we do not get the isf modes in the UK, we get the professional modes instead

Same for me on the few I’ve done – ~28ftL in Pro modes, peak output with v small windows.

The Pro modes are actually the isf modes Ricky/Martin. You can rename Pro 1 and Pro 2 to isf Day/Night in the Lock Settings option using i196 as the password.

From what I can gather reading US calibrators reports, we’re locked to PB at low.

THX can give about 35ftL but you’ll need to make white balance adjustments in the service menu and of course there’s no CMS but a click or 3 on the global colour decoder should see dE’s below three, across the board, once greyscale is nailed.

[Anonymous]

Good tip in on changing the pro names to isf. I did not know that, but as it is only a rename it does not make too much difference.

It is a real PITA about the light output. The panel can obviously output a higher amount, as THX is brighter as you mentioned, but they have capped for some reason?

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the replies. Checked THX mode yesterday and got 30ftL. Pro 1 or 2 yielded just 19, seems very strange!
Tried it on Dynamic and it went up to 35ftL – PLUS you can adjust white balance in this mode. Stranger and stranger…

[Anonymous]

I know there is a few differences between the US and UK models… Who is in the Uk and who is in the US that is having the issues? In the UK versions are you able to connect to the TV using RS232 or IP control and get at the Pro Modes? Do you have 10point or just 2point control in the pro modes? For those that are able to get at the RS232 or IP control, which workflow are you using?

[Anonymous]

Ater speaking with Gregg on Skype, we called out yesterday to re-calibrate our client’s display.
We turned off the ISF pro modes (only 17 ftL possible) and used the THX mode, adjusting the white balance in the service menu (using the Cinema setting, which is the same for THX mode). As Gregg forecast, we got 29ftL and a gamma curve of 2 (can’t adjust gamma in this mode). Picture was much better, and the client was happy as I explained every step to him.

Meanwhile our display in our store is showing a poorly 17ftL on THX mode, so I suspect it’s not a healthy TV..

[Anonymous]

Remember … if the gamma shows about 2 … with the test patterns at our disposal … it is close to where THX wants it … based on their much smaller test patterns. The smaller the window size … the higher the gamma number goes. 2.05 based on a 20% window can easily read 2.20 on a 6.5% window.

regards

[Anonymous]

@Jeff Wolstenholme 3245 wrote:

I know there is a few differences between the US and UK models… Who is in the Uk and who is in the US that is having the issues? In the UK versions are you able to connect to the TV using RS232 or IP control and get at the Pro Modes? Do you have 10point or just 2point control in the pro modes? For those that are able to get at the RS232 or IP control, which workflow are you using?

I’m based in the UK and worked on a couple of VT30’s a few weeks ago, got about 27ftl on both using windows on the QD780.

In the Pro 1 and Pro 2 modes on the UK models you get 2 point and 10 point white balance controls, plus full cms and 10 point gamma.

I use Chromapure rather than Calman. I did however try ControlCal (RS232) on one of them but had a number of issues and gave up in the end (Sorry Shawn, haven’t had a chance to feed it all back to you as yet).

Has anyone else used ControlCal sucessfully on the UK Models.

I think my main issues were caused by the fact that ControlCal saw the unit as an EU model and I believe there are menu level differences between the EU and UK, I also could not get the 10 point WB working at all (the 2 point was fine).

[Anonymous]

Hi Dean….yes, let me know what issues you ran into.. here or via email… Could you Power the Display on and off with the buttons in ControlCAL?

Also,, you need to use the Connect button (on the Misc Tab) to initialize/connect to the Euro Model/Mode……. you obviously do want ControlCAL to be connected in Euro Mode for Euro Models… 10pt w/b should work…

Also, some Controls on the Euro Models are more coarse than the North American Models and ControlCAL will adjust to those differences……

[Anonymous]

Hi Shawn,

Yes, power on and off no problem and generally could control the set, changing modes etc.

I did the connect and it identified as a Euro model. However, i think the issue may be that UK firmware/set up is different than the rest of the European market.

I should have got back to you when all was a little more fresh but for example, the brightness control range on the UK model IIRC has a mid point of 30 and has a max of 60 where I believe the Euro has a mid point of 0 and a max of 30.

Can anyone else chip in and confirm?

Were you aware of these differences on the uk model shawn or was I not doing something correctly?

If not maybe the commands for the 10point wb controls are different also? Do you know of anyone else who has used it with specfically a uk rather than euro vt30?

[Anonymous]

Hi, in Euro Mode, ControlCAL will change Contrast’s range to 0 to 60 (def 30) for the UK Models as well, the Euro Models are the same for that… I have not had reports that the 10pt wb controls (10pt w/b tab) have issues in UK or for Contrast’s range.. of course until now.

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