After 6 months research, I've done it.

I bought the standard def. NEC 42".
My budget was $10,000 for a new home entertainment setup, and the dislay was what took the most time to decide apon. (I paid around $3,500 for the NEC).

My deadline was the start of the 2005 A.F.L. football season, so I've just made it. (The Wizard cup starts next weekend.)

For the benefit of others also considering a plasma purchase, I'll explain my reasoning.

1. Why standard def ?
I watch a lot of sport (I try and watch all 8 AFL games a weekend) and some drama series during the week. AFL is all SD (widescreen) and will be for at least the next 3 years. I live in Canberra, and will for the next 1-2 years. No Hi-Def in Canberra at all, but some coming this year. I am going to buy the Toppy 5000 and it is a SD unit. The Toppy 7000 HD will be a fantastic unit, but at $2,000 I don't consider that good value. I'll get a 80G 5000 for $600 odd and put a 200 G HDD in it.

HD plasma displays are much more expensive and not "full" HD. They still seem to have some bugs that need ironing out (e.g. jitter, solarisation, not accurate blacks). In 3-5 years HD will be much cheaper, better quality and lots more broadcast material available. I'll buy one then, and this SD display can go in the bedroom!

2. Why NEC?
The NEC make a very good stand def unit. Pioneer do not make any SD displays. The NEC has got some great reviews from many happy owners at this forum.

3. Why 42"?
Big enough for my smallish lounge room

So out of an initial $10,000 budget-
$3,500 NEC SD 42"
$ 800 Toppy 5000 with 200G HDD
$ 300 Sat gear to pick up AFL on free to air Satellite
$ 200 Pioneer Divx DVD player (626?)
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$4,800
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The rest will go on a 5.1 surround sound speaker system. (more research!)
Steve

Congrats Steve

thats really good steve especially since your allowing a reasonable sum for the 5.1 surround speakers and amp out of your budget (rather than the $1,000-$2,000 people allow for this given they blown all they had on the plasma). Not familiar with the pioneer 626 you mention but try and get atleast the pioneer 676a player - you should pick it up for the $200 you mention. Have a look in the home theatre thread theres plenty of suggestions in past threads for the kind of budget your talking for the sound side of things.

Ok I'll bite - what free to air Satellite, is it digital?

Steve, did you buy the NEC locally?

George

ok, answers to questions-

The satellite is this-
http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/aurora.html
Its called "Aurora" and lots of channels, most of which are rural versions of the current free-to-air channels you get now. There are some AFL games shown that we don't get in Sydney/Bris/Canberra.
If you want to know more, check out this forum
http://sat-industry.net/forums/

I bought the plasma from a net retailer. They have been mentioned on here before. When you get a quote from them, they ask for you not to post their name on forums. I compared prices and they were the cheapest, but not by a huge margin.

Thanks alebonau and Glenncol - I'll have a look at the home theatre thread for 5.1 setups. It was the Pioneer 676 I was thinking of (is no 626!) for a good, budget DVD player. I notice Trevor Lees is doing the Pioneer 969 for $1290 (has HDMI out). I think everyone is anticipating HD Dvd players so there will be some very cheap high-end "SD" DVD players around.

Can anyone answer this question? These are the specs for the NEC PX-42VR5A (Stan Def 42")

Active Screen Area 36.3 in x 20.4 in, 921mm x 518 mm
Native Pixel Resolution 853 x 480
Pixel Pitch 1.08 mm square
Video Signal Compatibility PAL, SECAM, 3.58/4.43 NTSC
HD Video Signal Compatibility 480p 480i, 525p, 525i, 540p, 625p, 625i, 720p,1035i, 1080i
Input Terminals RGB 1 (analog): 15-pin mini D-sub (common use with RGB out, selectable)
RGB 2 (analog): 5 BNC (RGB/HV) (common use with 5BNC Y/Pb/Pr input, selectable)
RGB 3 (digital): 24-pin DVI-D HDCP (EIA/CEA-861-A) compatible
Video 1: Composite BNC x 1 (common use with Video out, selectable)
Video 2: Composite RCA x 1
Video 3: S-Video 4-Pin DIN
HD Video 1: 1 set RCA Component (Y,Pb,Pr/Y,Cb,Cr)
HD Video 2: 1 set BNC Component (Y,Pb,Pr/Y,Cb,Cr) (common use with 5BNC Y/Pb/Pr input,selectable)
Audio: 3 sets RCA stereo + external speaker jacks

My question relates the bold line above.
Am I right in saying the display accepts all these "HD" video signals above and down-converts them to the native resolution of the screen?

I was hoping this plasma could display 480p without down-converting - as I thought 480p was "SD" and not "HD". The screen does have a native resolution of 853 x 480 after all.

Does anyone know if this screen can display 480p ? I know any 'ol progressive scan DVD player can output 480p, so naturally I want to watch the DVD at this resolution! The HD NEC can display 720p, a true HD signal, I hope this one can display 480p.

you are absolutely kidding me right after doing six months of research and finally purchasing this plasma you asking this question now ?

You did not test in this mode if it was important to you ?

I am very suprised Steve !

I will be even more suprised if it will not do ntsc progressive scan given this is basically a plasma designed for the american markets.

For your own sake I do hope it does - hopefully someone else with this plasma can confirm.

the manual not list all the modes it can do ?

I must admit, I am a tad embarrased to ask this question Alalebonau!

I think the answer is "off course! All curent day SD plasmas display 480p" but I would like to know before I hand over the credit card!

Research like this is harder in Canberra - no HD to play with (not that I think 480p is HD) and this question is made more difficult because all plasmas say they accept HD signals (e.g. 480p, 720p 1080i etc) but its another thing actually displaying them natively. This is harder to assess.

Its like the "HD ready" debate which is raging at the moment.

My "6 months research" has been on centered on what is value for money, something a lot of us question when buying a plasma!

surely the place you bought it from must have a prog scan player in stock eg. the pioneer 676A that you can check this with.

just head down there with a R1 ntsc dvd in hand and get them to hook the dvd player upto the nec and try it out for your self.

And if your happy with the results only then ofcourse hand over the credit card.

After a few occasions of dissapointment I am now a firm believer in the try before you buy principle. Especially if there are any aspects/feature that are important to you.

As far as 'HD ready' I do wish we'd adopt the standards over in europe that dictate quite clearly what can be labelled 'HD ready' and what can't be. If we had the same standards here it would remove the confusion generated by the manufacturers and retailers at the present and also remove the need for any debate.

In case you missed it. heres a link to info on the european 'hd ready' requirement

http://www.homecinemachoice.com/cgi-bin/shownews.php?id=7396

Thanks for link alebonau - I couldn't agree more with what the European industry organisation is doing. In fact, if a organisation in Australia did the same, I wouldn't have to ask the question I did!
All plasma would have a sticker on them saying "SD capable" or "HD capable" according the Euro rules:

Requirements for the label “HD ready”
A display device has to cover the following requirements to be awarded the label "HD ready":
1. Display, display engine - The minimum native resolution of the display (e.g. LCD, PDP) or display engine (e.g. DLP) is 720 physical lines in wide aspect ratio.
2. Video Interfaces
* The display device accepts HD input via: Analogue YPbPr1; and DVI or HDMI
* HD capable inputs accept the following HD video formats: 1280x720 @ 50 and 60Hz progressive ("720p"), and 1920x1080 @ 50 and 60Hz interlaced ("1080i")
* The DVI or HDMI input supports content protection (HDCP)."

In the U.S. they have another standard, called "ED" or "Enhanced Def" and it is this that refers to 480p. Have a look at this promo for a "ED" plasma in the U.S.-

Samsung SP-P4251 42" EDTV plasma TV
Early plasma TVs introduced the cool factor of hang-on-the-wall thinness, but carried stratospheric price tags and delivered less-than-optimal picture quality. Fast-forward to today and Samsung's SP-P4251, an EDTV (Enhanced Definition TV) plasma that's easier on the wallet, and easier to set up, use and enjoy.

EDTV picture resolution means the SP-P4251 can display signals up to 480p, like those from a progressive-scan DVD player. A built-in "scaler" converts all other video signals coming into the TV to 480p, as well. Lower-quality signals are further enhanced by Samsung's exclusive DNIe™ circuitry, which yields improved contrast, detail, white tone and noise reduction.

If HDTV signals are available in your area, you can watch them in downconverted form on this TV. Just connect a separate HDTV tuner and set it to output a 480p signal and get ready for a beautifully clean, clear picture! (Tip: the SP-P4251 accepts high-def 1080i and 720p signals from an HD tuner and downconverts them to 480p — try comparing picture quality to see which performs better, the TV's scaler or your HDTV tuner's.)

This is exactly what I was asking about the NEC. Having read this, I could have worded my question this way-
Is the NEC 853x480 PX-42VR5A a standard def -or- enhanced def plasma?
In the U.S. I could just look at the sticker!

No mention of ED in your manual Steve?

yes wish we had some sort of labelling here.

I can remember atleast one post on here where someone thought they purchased a plasma capable of viewing HD but it fact it was HD ready. Fortunately the guy was not too disheartened and decided to keep it anyway. We just don't need more stories like that one.

Many salesman in australia call the 852x480 plasma - a 'SD plasma', don't think theres much understanding of the term 'ED'. And very few actually let customers know of the benefits of a ED plasma in displaying 480p natively. Many people out there are just getting to grips with understanding that theres Standard definition and high definition let alone ED.

Probably only thing that will get this confusion to go away is when we one day get plasma's or some other display that can natively display our broadcasts - both SD and HD.

By the way I'm glad you steered this discussion back to your plasma as really I had no intention with my link to make this a ED bashing or another SD vs HD debate as we probably had enough of those debates/discussions for now.

This Plasma will do all you need it to do Steve, inc. NTSC and PAL progressive scan.

Whew ... I done so much "googling" in last 24 hours, I'm googled out !
Here is what I have found out. I will post lots of info. relevent to the topic. Its gonna get long and ugly, but I did start this thread, and probably usefull for others.

from http://www.av-sales.com/html/scaling_progr...scan_resol.html

What is resolution and why is it important?

The picture your projector or flat screen produces is made up of thousands of pixels. The number of pixels your display is made up of is referred to as its “native resolution”. In general terms the more the better - since this means there are more individual dots available to draw more detailed pictures, which results in sharper detail.

DVD, Sky and other video sources currently use a resolution of 640 x 480 or 720 x 576 horizontal lines (perfect for 42” plasmas and budget to mid-range projectors). Displays with high resolutions (1024 x 768, 1280 x 720 etc) have to scale the image to stretch over this larger number of pixels. The processor will identify shapes in the image and use the extra pixels to smooth off edges or show more detail within the picture.

What is High Definition TV (HDTV)?

HDTV is a higher resolution signal than standard TV (higher than current DVD too!). The resolution starts at 480 lines and goes all the way up to 1080 lines!!! At this resolution many displays will still need to scale the image, only this time down to fit its native resolution! It is worth noting that most HDTV broadcasts are already in Progressive Scan format.

Is my projector/plasma Progressive Scan?

All monitors, LCD and plasma screens and projectors must convert any input signal into a non-interlaced image through a process called “deinterlacing”. By definition therefore, any picture you are watching on that display is in “Progressive Scan” format.

DVD Players that have “Progressive Scan” have a similar deinterlacing chip to your display actually built into the DVD player itself. The process is the same but it might be that the DVD player has a better chip than the plasma does. There is also the advantage that when the DVD player is doing the conversion, the signal is in its purest form direct from the DVD disc.

Why do video signals need to be converted into Progressive Scan in the first place?

In essence, all video starts as a Progressive Scan, or non-interlaced picture. However, CRT televisions require the image to be broken up into two separate “fields” – one made up of all the odd lines of the picture (1,3,5,7…) and the other made up of all the even lines (2,4,6,8…). As a constraint of the technology, for each frame of a picture the CRT television really quickly draws the first field, and then the second one – the human eye puts this flicker together and forms one picture. It is for this reason that videos, DVDs and Sky are all in “interlaced” format which needs “deinterlacing” before it can be shown on a digital display.

What is a scaler or de-interlacer then???

A very common upgrade for plasma or projector owners is to add a dedicated video processor into the system. This is literally a box that will take one or more video inputs, carry out any and all deinterlacing and/or scaling duties, and output the finished image to your display. Practically all video processors can de-interlace a signal (turn it into progressive scan) and as such feed a Progressive Scan image to the display; many now incorporate a scaling chip too. This means that the processor is able to send a deinterlaced picture of exactly the right horizontal and vertical resolution for your display, hence bypassing the display’s internal scaler, which may be of lower quality. The dedicated processor approach means that all processing is done outside of the source or display hence minimizing electrical interference, and you can seriously improve your picture from Sky, Freeview, Cable etc
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from http://www.lcdtvbuyingguide.com.au/forums/

dongiorgio Posted: Jul 10 2004, 10:34 AM Newbie
Many people buy plasmas which have a 480 vertical resolution. Why buy a HD STB when it will be scaled back to SD?! Please post your opinions and experiences.

jim.
i have a 42in sd and 60in hd nec panel ,i use 2 x hd boxes on them because i can connect it by 15pin or dvi,most sd boxes around the best connection is by rgb scart but my nec hasnt got scart connections,you need to have a philips [belguim made] or sony [made in spain]european model both of these units have rgb scart connections,then you notice the difference.

Guest_MIKE Posted: Jul 10 2004, 11:55 AM
When I recently contacted PANASONIC, they said it was pointless buying an HD set top box for their 42" 852 x 480 resolution SD plasma. Would not enhance the image at all & to just buy an SD STB.

Pat Posted: Aug 17 2004, 06:15 PM
You must check to see if your plasma can handle progressive scanned inputs (e.g 480p, 575p etc). If so you can get better pictures with HD boxes. SD set top box produces interlaced signals only (e.g 575i). Those that can show progressive scanning are called Enhanced Definition TVs (EDTV) and not SDTV

Its progressive scanning that gives you 90% of the improvement in the picture quality. The higher resolution gives you only the remaining 10%

RSA Posted: Oct 15 2004, 06:36 PM
I have seen 852x480 Plasma (Samsung) on HD Signal, the difference is heaven and earth...even the HD Plasma doesn't look that much difference compare with SD Plasma (or ED Plasma). I would defenitely try HD Set Top on SD Plasma which will give 90% improvement. RSA

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Comments and Review from: Christian KENT - "New Media Technical Specialist" employed by an Australian Television Broadcaster. (http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com.au/hdtv.htm)

Normal Australian television is broadcast in 576 lines of interlaced video, which becomes 625 lines of analogue-system interlaced video. Digital SDTV (standard definition television) is 576i (interlaced) and digital HDTV is either 1080i (interlaced), 720p (progressive) or 576p (progressive), but generally all HDTV shows are produced in 1080i and either transmitted that way or converted to 576p before transmission. DVD is always 576i unless you are playing NTSC-market discs (eg USA, Canada) which are 480i. Some DVD players have "progressive scanning" with their playback and are able to fill in the information to convert a 480i picture to 480p, and more recently a 576i picture to 576p. All the numbers quoted above are for vertical resolution (how many lines up & down the screen). The horizontal resolution (lines left & right) of all DVDs and all SDTV is always 720, for anywhere in the world. It is 720 whether it is widescreen aspect ratio or not. The horizontal resolution coming from the analogue outputs of some DVD players has been a topic for discussion and has been brought up by some salesmen, but it depends on the player. Some claim up to 800 lines with progressive scanning, although this logically does not make sense given the inbuilt limits of the DVD standard. The majority of DVD players used in the home output 450 to 500 lines of horizontal resolution. Obviously the more "lines" the better the quality of picture, but using a composite (yellow plug) connection instead of S-Video (mini 6-pin) or component (3-cable) connection will limit the effective number of lines you will get. Becoming clearer? I thought not!!

Also there is another quote on your site: 1024 x 1024 screens use interlacing video technology. Progressive is far superior, which is what is used on the NEC screens. With interlacing technology it is more likely one sees "artifacts" and screen "judder". The issues being discussed here are not specific enough to be true or false. If he is comparing 1080i (interlaced) to 1080p (progressive), then he is true. If he is comparing 576i (interlaced) to 576p (progressive), then he is true. But I think he is in fact comparing 480p (progressive) to 1080p (progressive) because the NEC screen shows 480p, which is a strange way to view a DVD that has an output of 576i, or has a 576p output if the player has progressive scan. The 1024x1024 screen is most likely going to convert a DVD from 576i to 1024p, and the 640x480 screen is most likely going to convert a DVD from 576i to 480p. All plasmas have to convert to progressive at some stage because all the physical elements are illuminated at all times. If they do this and there is tearing, it may or may not be connected to an internal conversion from 50Hz to 60Hz; tearing can be avoided or caused by good or bad quality conversion. The plasma circuitry may not even be affected by the difference between 50Hz and 60Hz because plasma display elements are always illuminated, so tearing is really only ever to do with the way the internal circuitry converts things, not to do with the fact it is a plasma or to do with the number of plasma pixels. This means the only way to see which one better displays a 576i 50Hz DVD is to view both of them side-by-side on both plasmas. If you are using a 576p playback output from a progressive scan player, then compare that on both plasma screens too. Also realise that DVD content comes in two varieties: Electronic cameras which produce images at 576i, used in studios and sports, showing 50 discrete images per second; and film cameras, used in movies, which produce something called "segmented frame" on 576i DVDs, because they have 25 discrete images per second and each image is segmented in two on a 576i 50Hz DVD. It is this second variety of content that Philips "Pixel Plus" technology transforms into a smoother 50 images per second style. Anyway the bottom line is, if you're doing a side-by-side comparison for the tearing artifacts and screen judder, make sure to try one DVD that has a film movie on it, and another that has a live-to-air or sports TV show on it.

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Tech Guide: Plasma vs. LCD
www.zdnet.com.au/reviews/coolgear/electronics/
By David Carnoy, ZDNet US 25 February 2004

5. Viewing HDTV
Most plasmas and LCDs can display a high-def signal. However, you'll need a model with a resolution of at least 1,280x720 to enjoy full HDTV once it becomes available in the Australian market. Most 50-inch plasmas and nearly all 26-inch and larger LCDs offer this resolution. Very few 42-inch plasmas do, but when you're watching HD feeds on a lower-resolution television of that size or smaller, you'll have to sit very close to notice much of a difference between true HD and what you're seeing. Take, for example, Panasonic's TH-42PA20U, which is arguably the best 42-inch plasma we've seen to date in its price range. Even though the set provides only EDTV resolution (852x480), HDTV looks really good on it.

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http://www.panasonic.com/consumer_electronics/pressroom/
WHITE PAPER

Plasma Facts and Myths
Panasonic Presents Advice From the Video Purist Perspective
Commissioned by: Panasonic
November 2004


Executive Summary

The 21st Century display technology called plasma TV looks, operates and performs unlike any previous device. No other television today offers the form factor, screen size and performance of plasma. The purpose of this report is to provide in-depth information about plasma technology. You will learn how plasma operates, the truth about plasma life span, the so-called uneven aging phenomenon, and maintenance. Performance criteria will also be examined so you can determine if a plasma panel is right for you.

How It Works

Plasma displays use three types of phosphors (red, green, and blue). Like a standard cathode ray tube (CRT) TV the phosphors glow to create an image. The difference lies in the way the phosphors glow. In a CRT, electrons strike the phosphors causing them to glow. A plasma display contains a combination of inert gases. Electrodes inside the glass panel charge the gas, resulting in the production of invisible ultra violet (UV) light. When the UV light strikes the phosphors, they glow, producing a brilliant picture.

Advantages of Plasma

Plasma TVs offer excellent color saturation, very wide viewing angles in both horizontal and vertical planes, and are equaled only by the bulky flat-faced direct-view sets based on traditional CRT technology. Their rapid response times assure crisp images even when fast motion is present, such as when viewing football or other fast-moving sporting events. Plasma televisions provide image brightness at a level far higher than large-screen projection displays, allowing for viewing in areas of high ambient light without washing out picture detail. (There are no direct-view CRT sets with comparable screen sizes to plasmas that are 42 inches or larger.) Panasonic black levels are close to direct view CRT levels, permitting superb deep blacks and outstanding viewing in dark environments. Panasonic contrast ratios are rated as high as 4000:1. Current LCD flat panels cannot achieve the dark black levels or contrast ratios of plasma in a home theater environment. Panasonic makes plasma panels in widescreen (16:9 aspect ratio) with enhanced-definition, commonly known as 480p, (37” & 42” have 852 pixels measured horizontally (H) by 480 pixels measured vertically (V)) and high definition resolutions (37”=1024H x 720V; 42”= 1024 H x 768 V; 50” and 65” 1366 H x 768 V).

Lifespan

There has been much misinformation about the longevity of today’s plasma TVs. Like all other display devices, there are two parts to a television. The first is the internal electronics. Modern circuit designs are extremely reliable and all televisions, including plasma’s circuits, are designed to provide extremely long life. The second part is the section of the television that produces light. In plasma, it is the phosphors within the glass panel. Phosphors are used to produce an image in standard picture tube (CRT) televisions as well, and in three-CRT rear projectors.

Television manufacturers base the projected life of all TVs on “half brightness,” meaning the time it takes for the display to create an image that’s only half as bright as when the TV was new. The three-CRT rear projector is generally rated at 15,000 hours until half-brightness. Direct-view CRTs are generally rated to 30,000 hours. Panasonic plasmas have a half brightness rating of 60,000 hours – four times the life of CRT rear projection. This equates to more than twenty-three years at seven hours a day viewing, around the average daily TV viewing time per U.S. household. With its inherent high brightness, a Panasonic plasma will likely retain its image quality for many years.

Myths Regarding Plasma Televisions

While a CRT direct-view television is an analog device that uses a picture tube and the plasma is a digital device, there are many similarities between the two technologies. As noted, each display uses phosphors to create light. While a direct-view picture tube operates in a vacuum, and the plasma screen uses inert gases, both are completely sealed. There is no possibility of the gas leaking out (barring physically breaking the panel), and there is never a need to “recharge” or “refill” the plasma panel. Conversely, there is no possibility of moisture leaking in, it can never “fog up” like a car windshield and, unlike an incandescent light bulb, a plasma panel doesn’t suddenly “burn out.”

Power Consumption

All Panasonic plasmas are Energy Star® compliant insuring low power consumption in standby mode (a mere 18 watts), when compared with non-Energy Star® models. The maximum power consumption during use depends on screen size; the 37-inch diagonal models, for example, are rated at 345 watts maximum. However, typical power consumption is much lower and varies depending on picture content and display settings such as brightness and contrast. With typical content and display settings, Panasonic plasmas have virtually the same power consumption as similar-sized LCD TVs.

Burn In

Much has been written about the possibility of permanently marking a plasma screen by viewing a static image on the screen for too long. This is often referred to as “static image burn in,” which is a misnomer. The phosphors are never “burnt,” rather they are unevenly aged. While the possibility of uneven aging exists, it can also occur with any other phosphor-based display such as a direct-view CRT television or CRT rear projection TV. Panasonic has developed new phosphors that are resistant to image burn-in and has added other features that minimize its occurrence. One such feature imperceptibly moves the image around the screen to eliminate sharp delineations between dark and light areas.

There are several simple steps to take to further prevent the possibility of image burn-in which should be performed during the break-in period.

Plasma Break-In

Like a fine new automobile, the performance of a plasma TV can be optimized by allowing a break-in period. By properly following these simple break-in instructions, you should be rewarded with long-term enjoyment of your plasma TV. Plasma phosphors are most susceptible to image retention in the first hundred hours of use. The panel becomes considerably less sensitive to burn-in after this period. Very often, televisions, including plasma, are shipped from the factory with the contrast control at a high setting to provide a bright picture under typical dealer showroom lighting conditions. In your home, the room light levels are usually one half or less than that in retail showrooms. The contrast control may need to be lowered in your home for comfortable contrast levels that do not induce eye strain.

When the plasma is initially installed, videophiles say it is best to do the following:
· Make sure the display is in a viewing mode (aspect ratio) that completely fills the screen (there are often three or more settings from which to choose). The panel is shipped in this condition, in what is called the “Just” mode.
· Turn down the picture control (contrast) to 50% or less.
· Briefly engage the 4:3 mode to confirm the side bars are set to mid-gray there is usually an adjustment in the Set Up menu that takes the sidebars from black to gray) to minimize the chance of burn-in.
· Return the set to a “full screen” (Just, Zoom, Full) position during the first hundred hours of use.
· During the first hundred hours of use it is best not to view the same channel for extended periods. This should prevent channel logos and other fixed images found on some channels from being retained.
· Avoid any static images (video games, computer images, DVD title screens, etc.) during the hundred-hour break-in.

After the hundred-hour break-in period, during the next nine-hundred hours:
· Continue to retain the picture setting at 50% or less.
· Limit the use of 4:3 aspect ratio mode (traditional picture size that does not fill the entire screen) to 15% of viewing time.
· Limit the use of static images (computer, video games, etc.) to less than 10% of viewing time.

After one-thousand viewing hours, panels are much less likely to experience image burn-in.

What to do if you see a ghost image on the screen

In the rare event you begin to see a ghost image on the display, Panasonic has incorporated a built-in “white-bar scroll” feature to assist you. When enabled, the scroll will (in many cases) reduce or eliminate image retention. Consult Panasonic customer service for any technical support issues (800-211-7262 or http://www.panasonic.com/support/).

Panasonic Plasma Picture Quality

Panasonic has included several exclusive features to provide the best picture of any plasma television available. Here are the performance features that best separate Panasonic plasma from the competition, as well as other technologies.

Contrast Ratios and Digital Artifacts

Earlier generations of plasma displays lacked true blacks and dark area clarity, causing washed-out low-level detail and requiring viewing only in rooms with relatively high levels of ambient light. Panasonic has developed the exclusive Real Black Drive system that allows the shut off of individual picture elements (pixels) within the panel, to produce a true deep black. Panasonic’s Gamma Enhancement System allows near-black image information to be reproduced accurately. In addition, the Gamma Enhancement System increases the number of gradient steps, eliminating unnatural “dithering” artifacts that may degrade image quality. Dithering

artifacts are often noticed in programs with gradual brightness transitions, such as wide blue-sky scenes. A dithered sky breaks up into tile-like areas of varying brightness levels, instead of a smooth, uniform, natural expanse. The combination of these Panasonic breakthroughs increases rated contrast ratios, up to 4000:1, and allows Panasonic plasmas to reproduce 1536 different shades from black to white. Many competitors’ designs are limited to only 256 steps, resulting in disturbing picture artifacts.

Color

Panasonic plasmas reproduce more than 1 billion colors, providing a rich natural palette for superb reproduction of movies, broadcasts and home videos. Many competing plasmas can only reproduce less than 17 million colors.

Angle of View

Plasma provides a bright, vivid high-contrast image with uniformity in both the horizontal and vertical viewing planes. Flat LCD panels lose contrast as viewing angle approaches the extreme. Only flat-faced direct-view CRT televisions have similar viewing angles, but without the slim form factor that plasma affords. Providing a remarkable picture at virtually any angle assures that everyone in the viewing room — regardless if they are sitting, standing or even lying on the floor — will see the same crisp clear images.

Rise/Decay Times

Plasma displays react very quickly to picture changes insuring exceptional viewing of fast motion found in sports programs. Flat LCD panels often have slower response times causing blurring with action and sports material.

Conclusions

As a relatively new technology, plasma faces challenges in the form of misinformation; possible misuse by the consumer; and myths previously assigned to preceding technologies that are carried over to the new. Hopefully this report has met these challenges by reviewing plasma not in terms of strengths or weaknesses, but in terms of actual capabilities and well-researched practices to achieve the best consumer experience possible.

Plasma is a superior technology in its obvious display capabilities but also in its longevity potential. With your attention to a few important settings and practices, plasma will provide you with an exciting and reliable viewing experience for years to come.

This is from www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com.au/resolution.htm about Australian TV:

Normal Australian television is broadcast in PAL, which contains 576 lines of interlaced video, not 480 lines. American NTSC is broadcast with 480 lines of video and is an inferior system to the Australian and European PAL system. This means that no W-VGA (858 x 484 = WVGA approx. 1,240,000 pixels) plasma display can display all of the information contained in standard PAL video, since they simply do not have enough video lines. Australian SDTV is 576i (interlaced) and Australian HDTV can be any of 576P (progressive), 720P (progressive) or 1080i (interlaced), at the discretion of the broadcaster.

The result on 480 line W-VGA plasma panels is even worse when viewing 1080i HDTV material.

The "3-Dimensional" Progressive Scan greatly boosts the precision of the progressive scan conversion. This eliminates flickering still images and minimises jagged edges in moving pictures, virtually eliminating the line flicker that can occur when displaying in the interlace scan format.

So "EDTV" is what we know as "SD" on a plasma / projector / LCD screen at a resolution of 480 vertical lines shown progressively, as opposed to iterlaced.

In summary-
480i in the U.S. is "SD" (NTSC) - The PAL equivalent is 576i in Australia
480p in the U.S. is "ED"
1080i and 720p in the U.S. is "HD"

A "SD" plasma in Australia takes all digital television signals (576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i) and DVD signals (NTSC: 480i, PAL: 576i or 480p/576p on a progressive scan DVD player) and displays them at 480p, called "ED" in the U.S.

I hope I got that right! Whew.

Steve, when do you recieve your plasma, intrested to hear our review on it when u get it all setup etc...

Steve,
Most PAL formats only use a line rate of 525 lines, so the difference between NTSC and PAL, while there, is not so obvious. Youve got a nice panel mate - you're gonna enjoy it!

excuse my ignorance here mark as I might be wrong. But isn't PAL actually 625 lines and its only 576 lines thats used. Just I know with my PAL DVD it comes up as 625 lines.

also not sure what they mean by this qoute in the previous post:



sorry but doesn't 852x484 = 41368 not the 1,240,000 pixels theyre mentioning, unless of course theyre talking about wvga(what resolution were talking here?)
I know my plasma is only capable of 1024x1024 = 1,048,576 pixels at best.

sorry if I'm side tracking this discussion, please do go on but if someone can help answer these questions along the way if you wouldn't mind.

I think you may be thinking of NTSC, which is a 525 line system but displays only 480 lines. The only PAL system that uses 525 lines (480 visible) is Brazil's...

An SD panel thus loses about 20% of SDTV's resolution through downscaling. When I was looking at plasmas recently, this manifested itself in aliasing (jaggies) and a noticeable screen door effect...

My mistake guys, I was thinking of NTSC, PAL is 625 with about 576 lines used. I still think you'll be impressed with PQ on this unit, both in SD and HD. I was testing out an Ikusi(?) box a few days ago on this and the HD from 9 was awesome.

Anyone got this panel? Any thoughts on it etc.

I dont own one, but I can tell you its one of the best SD panels out there!

It is digital, as is 99% of any satellite broadcasts these days. It's not free to air, as you must buy a subscription card for a once off fee.

Just saw one off these panels running the nine loop through a toshi hd box connected via component.

Looked very good. Very impressed.

Regards

Daywalker

Anyone know where the best place to view/buy the NEC SD in Adelaide?

I took a look around 'The Good Guys' and 'Truscott Hifi' today and couldn't see any..

TIA,
Andrew