Panasonic TC-P60ST60 - Some Newbie(ish) Questions (1 Viewer)

[Tommy*M]

Hi all,

It's been a while since I've been on the forum...a lot has changed. I apologize in advance if my questions have been covered (I'm sure they have been), but I've been having some trouble with my searches.

I'll give you the basics...I currently have a 7-year-old 46" Sony LCD that I actually like a lot, but I'm ready for an update, and I can have the Sony for a really nice set for my bedroom. I researched a lot both online and in-person...mostly looking at LED LCD sets. While comparing sets in-person at one of my local retailers, I happened to look over to the side, and that's when I saw it...literally the best-looking picture I've ever seen. It was the Panasonic TC-P60ST60. Absolutely beautiful. I went to a few different stores and looked at it in different settings, and even had one store put in some Blu Rays for me. I was absolutely sold on it.

I have never owned a plasma before, and I don't know as much about them as I should, especially since I just shelled out over a grand for one. I don't have buyer's remorse, but I guess call it buyer's concerns. As I have poked around, I've scared myself by reading discussions about image retention/burn in. I know that this can happen to LED LCD displays also, but it seems to be more of a concern with plasmas....especially when they are new.

Is there a break-in period (I've heard the first 100-200 hours), or anything I should be doing once I get the TV set up? I have read lots of discussions about not having channels on that have the perma-logos in the corner of the picture...but almost every singe station has one. Is there any advice any of you can offer to avoid image retention aside from never watching ESPN again? I am really jazzed about this set, and I really want to not screw things up, but I do still want to be able to use it to watch TV...

I don't have enough knowledge to be able to tell the difference between fact and fiction, so any education you can provide me will be greatly appreciated. I won't have the set until Monday, so I have time to keep researching. Thanks in advance for any thoughts or advice.

 

[Type A]

Not sure the specifics of your model but often theres a pixel orbiter feature that is supposed to help avoid burn in, read your owners manual. I was a little concerned when I first got my 58" Panasonic plasma but frankly it doesnt concern me any more. It shouldnt be a big concern unless you watch the same channel all day every day, surf the internet all day on your plasma, have gaming marathons ect. The only thing Im ever mindful of, when it comes to my plasma, is I do tend to have gaming marathons. I fire up the projector if I think Ill be gaming all day. You might occasionally notice image retention but that fades over time. To be honest, you really have to do something stupid to burn a plasma, with a normal mix of TV and movies you should be fine. Its the same format or same channel all the time the creates burn in.

As for break in, again, I would read your manual and see if it says anything about it. I know calibration is not recommended for the first couple hundred hours but I wouldnt go out of my way to do anything specific in that first period of time besides just watching and enjoying your new TV. Congrats on a great purchase, despite all the progress of LCD, plasma is still the King sir .

 

[Gregg Loewen]

hi
the ST is a great display!
Watch in the Cinema mode with the contrast at 75.
Try to avoid 4x3 content and stationary logos for the first 75 hours.
Enjoy!!

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

There isn't really a correlation between calibration and waiting 100 to 200 hours ... Plasma sets drift about the same amount in the first 6 months if you calibrate them brand spanking new ... versus the second 6 months after that. Since drift is the same ... where is this massive change in the first 100 hours ...

Doesn't happen. It's a myth.

The role of the 100 hours thing is to make sure that the TV you bought is not a lemon. No one wants to pay a pro calibrator guy $400 to work on a set only to find out 1 week later that his TV is actually a lemon. It isn't the calibrator guy's fault ... stuff like that just happens ... although rare. But it still feels like flushing money down a toilet ...

If you are going to calibrate the tv yourself ... then do it right away ... do it every two days ... every week ... every month if you want. It is your gear and your TV. It is not like the calibration equipment will self destruct on you if you use it when a TV is new.

regards

 

[Type A]

Must be projectors Im thinking of, thanks for the correction!

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

The usual recommendation for a projector is to get 50 hours on the bulb first before a professional calibration. The light bulb changes color characteristics in the early part of its life.

That said, a person can still do all the user control stuff himself right away ... and if they are doing their own calibration, then do it right away and redo it in 50 hours ... and see what happens.


Regards

 

[Tommy*M]

Thanks all for the replies...I really appreciate the info. I feel better now...it's hard to tell what is truth and what is myth out there.

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

For additional learning, visit the TLVEXP.com website for a bunch more learning ... plenty of articles there. And then tutorial free videos ...

After that, if you still want more knowledge and you feel your time is worth more to you than spending another year searching for scraps of information here and there ... consider the Video Calibration Training series. (30 parts at last count and totalling 7 hours) This part is not free though.

regards

 

[Tommy*M]

Thank you for the links...that will save me from asking more questions! Thanks again for all the input. I got the TV on Monday, and it is every bit as beautiful as it was in the store! My eyes are still adjusting to this picture being dimmer (transitioning from an LCD set, and running in Cinema mode), but the picture is just beyond anything I've had before. I haven't noticed even minor IR, even if I watch a show on a station with a logo, so I'm just keeping that to a minimum and feeling a lot more comfortable right now. I run the screen wipe function regularly, and I have been running color slides when I'm not watching anything. So far, so good!