Hitachi 42PD8900TA

[--ThisIsAllToMuchFun--]

I was reading up on the brightness fluctuation over Xmas and yeah.. I don't think anyone had a solution (setting fix) for the 8900.

.... I'll try googling for some answers for the 8900 service settings & post any positive results

My current run in settings are:- (for all 4 of my AV's)

Picture mode: Natural

Contrast: -5 ........... I used this also for run in but noticed colour palette banding

Brightness: -5 ............ "

Colour: -10 ............ a bit high for my set up with -12 to (-20 on hd stb dvi)

Sharpness: -5 ] ............ from -2 to (+ 1 on the inputs of lesser quality)

Tint: -2 ............ 0

Temperature: Cool ...........Normal

Contrast Mode: Normal ............ Normal

YNR: low ............ off

CNR: low ............ off

LTI: low ............ off

Black enhancement: low ............ off

Screen saver: ON. 5Mins ( is this over kill? ) ............ 5Min

Screen Wipe: On..60 mns. (Manual doesn't say much re this.. Does it come on automatically?) or click ON and it works for 60 mns? ............ same but hope not to use it

Black side Panel: Off... which is grey ............ availabe only for 576i

Vid power save: Off ............ if set to On the Monitor will go into standby if it loses the input signal

Screen Aspect: Full ............ panorma for analogue tuner

I'm viewing from 2.5 - 3 mtrs.. I don't think I would like it any closer..For me 3 mtrs is the sweet spot.

If anyone cares to comment re these run in settings, and when to start to raise them.

I'd appreciate any thoughts.

btw this swivel is the greatest.. ... AND the sound.. man apart from movies I won't needing my 5.1 system to often.. Never heard Bass from a TV like this one..

.................yep love the sound

............ Eco is On...seems to limit the luminace of really bright pic's adds etc ..test it on 7 or 9's Epg to see the effect ...I like it but you may well fell that the white screen is dull

................. film mode is always on in cinema pre-set but can be disabled in Dy' & Na'

............ I've put my settings on all inputs & screen modes modified slightly for day & night viewing for (Nat' Dyn' Cin') so if it is accidently changed it won't go back to display factory presets as once another one is selected & the input is changed if not modified it will revert to factory settings....just to be safe

............ I've now done just over 100 hrs & my contrast & brightness are just above & below zero..... all these settings are of course dependent on the quality of the input signals & the equiptment used so there are no hard & fast rules about the settings & your own personal pref's .....& will of course need to be modified as the screen beds in...the thx screen opimiser is a good start for your blacks & whites on some of the inputs as it the news reader on Fta...

.....Now all that is needed is to find a fix for the luminance bounce...although minor I'll see what the web can do for me....I't didn't look so bad last night & was hardly noticeable maybe as the screen hours climb & my settings get modified it will totally disapear...I did read that all plasmas have issues with holding the blacks at constant levels..early days & things tend to work out in the long run given enough time

.......Hope that's helped abit ............... Kim .............

.

.

[GP11]

Firstly Thanks to pjc3 for your reply a week ago when I was in buying process.

And to --ThisIsAllToMuchFun-- and alebonau for your thoughts re my run in settings etc.. Helped heaps. thanks.. I did make some minor adjustments after reading your comments and it's looking great..

48 hrs now and I've been leaving on the HD loops to run up the hrs (almost 30 now ) I'll start pushing the settings up in small increments as I get up towards 100 hrs +..

funny thing.. I went back to JB's to get a cable this morning, and asked about their run in policy... " Switch it on and let her rip.. Don't worry about a thing.. Enjoy it.. you cant get burn in unless you leave a static image on screen for many many hrs."..

I think I'll stick with 'easy as she goes' and use the anti-retention aids..

The only thing I'm still unsure of is the Aspect ratio's settings for diff inputs . But I'll worry about that later.

--------

halo man Sorry to hear you're having problems with your 8900.

I'm probably the wrong person to give advise as I've only had mine 2 days... but couldn't be happier with the subdued PQ for my run in stage.

I'm a happy ex-panasonic owner, and I took a long time to research this purchase.. But in my honest opinion the pana doesn't come close to the Hitachi's rendering of colours and their graduations into light and shade. For me it was no contest.. I have a rellie and a friend with Pana 42" HD plasmas.. and yes they hit you in the face with bright vibrant colours.. a little too garish/ caroonish for my liking.. But lots do love the Pana.. just a matter of taste... Dont give up on your machine...If it doesn't improve soon.. maybe an exchange is in order... Good Luck.

-Charles

[pjc]

how does the native resolution thing work, if I am using 1280x720 via the rgb connection will the tv automatically upscale it to 1080i? has anyone been able to figure out why the 1920x1080 setting doesnt look right????

As I have said before I am running 1920*1080 via VGA and the picture is fine. Sorry that yours doesn't look right. I have tried other resolutions aswell and they all scale to the viewable screen well. Are you definitely using the auto adjust settings on the Hitachi?

Philip

[KOTULCN]

As I have said before I am running 1920*1080 via VGA and the picture is fine. Sorry that yours doesn't look right. I have tried other resolutions aswell and they all scale to the viewable screen well. Are you definitely using the auto adjust settings on the Hitachi?

Philip

yes I used the auto adjust, the screen looks dark and the left side of the screen is missing part of the picture. what set up do you have exactly?

[pjc]

yes I used the auto adjust, the screen looks dark and the left side of the screen is missing part of the picture. what set up do you have exactly?

I'm using nVidia 6300, dual monitor out, running LCD on DVI and Hitachi on VGA. Using dual monitor not clone means you can set the resolution to each screen independently. I tried most 16:9 formats and couldn't really see the difference for movies but photos looked just slightly better at 1080. When viewing the desktop the task bar is fully visable but there is slight cropping at the top. This is because the 8800 is a 1024 panel and doesn't scale the 1080 signal but crops top and bottom but using the Hitachi settings you can adjust the display to get what you need displayed by using the clock etc. I am at work today and so I can't tell you the exact settings I have on the Hitachi but as you have the 8900 I suspect it would be subtley different anyway. I suspect your graphics card is the problem, not the Hitachi but I may be wrong.

Hope this helps some.

Philip

[eagle]

Thanks for the reply GP11.

I have spent more time trying to get the picture right and I still can't get rid of the excessive noise that I see in the background.

The problem is worse on HDTV through the Sony 900 PVR and I have tried looking at both HDMI and Component and no diffirence IMHO.

Looks like I may need to contact the store as this is really starting to bother me now. (I can see my wife rolling her eyes already....

Any more feedback from anyone else???

Dave.

[KOTULCN]

does anyone know the best way to calibrate the 8900ta using the VGA (rgb)cables?

[george#3]

you know they are going to bring out a 1080p in a year or so.

as you know this is 1080i,

here is a review about it anyway

hitachi review 1080i

[GP11]

.....thanx again for the link as I've just finished reading it...however the service setting change is only for the 8800 as I've also looked for the screen hours & the numbers don't match...bugger

On this matter... have any 8900 owners been able to find the correct service setting to check hours usage?

I've been reading some threads from the AVS forums and man they are ultra careful with the run in periods and usage of 4*3, 2.40:1 (black top & bottom) and almost no watching anything with logos up to 200 hrs.

Also they seem to be using a Break In DVD / SVCD to get their hrs up to 200 continually running DVD............. Anyone here use that method of run in??

AVS forum Break-in DVD

Anyways.. I'm up to 60 hrs now and enjoying all types of inputs /aspect displays.. I'm leaving on the HD loop when not in use. First thing I do when I wake up each AM, is turn on the loop and head back to sleep

Hope the New Year brings good things to all of you.

-Charles

And thanks beardse for the link... nice to read such a glowing 5 star review. it reinforces what we know this panel is capable of.

[pjc]

you know they are going to bring out a 1080p in a year or so.

as you know this is 1080i,

here is a review about it anyway

hitachi review 1080i

Don't quite know what you are trying to say but the 9700 and the 8900 have the same panel - a 1024*1080 ALiS panel. The 9700 has an inbuilt tuner. The next gen models will accept 1080p signal but it is irrelevant really anyway unless BR or HD-DVD stop outputting 1080i.

Philip

On this matter... have any 8900 owners been able to find the correct service setting to check hours usage?

I've been reading some threads from the AVS forums and man they are ultra careful with the run in periods and usage of 4*3, 2.40:1 (black top & bottom) and almost no watching anything with logos up to 200 hrs.

Also they seem to be using a Break In DVD / SVCD to get their hrs up to 200 continually running DVD............. Anyone here use that method of run in??

AVS forum Break-in DVD

Anyways.. I'm up to 60 hrs now and enjoying all types of inputs /aspect displays.. I'm leaving on the HD loop when not in use. First thing I do when I wake up each AM, is turn on the loop and head back to sleep

Hope the New Year brings good things to all of you.

-Charles

And thanks beardse for the link... nice to read such a glowing 5 star review. it reinforces what we know this panel is capable of.

I wouldnt't get too concerned. The ALiSs panel is unlikely to have burn in unless you do really silly stuff like have static picture for hours and hours on end. Any image retention (which occurs often and is most noticable after a good dose of 4:3 picture format) is soon lost using the screen wipe or normal 16:9 viewing. I used to use the screen wipe but found it is not neccessary if you just watch full screen after a static image retention.

Philip

[KOTULCN]

I'm using nVidia 6300, dual monitor out, running LCD on DVI and Hitachi on VGA. Using dual monitor not clone means you can set the resolution to each screen independently. I tried most 16:9 formats and couldn't really see the difference for movies but photos looked just slightly better at 1080. When viewing the desktop the task bar is fully visable but there is slight cropping at the top. This is because the 8800 is a 1024 panel and doesn't scale the 1080 signal but crops top and bottom but using the Hitachi settings you can adjust the display to get what you need displayed by using the clock etc. I am at work today and so I can't tell you the exact settings I have on the Hitachi but as you have the 8900 I suspect it would be subtley different anyway. I suspect your graphics card is the problem, not the Hitachi but I may be wrong.

Hope this helps some.

Philip

well going through the owners manual it doesnt state that it accepts 1920x1080 via VGA? I am frustrated that I cant get it to work.

[pjc]

well going through the owners manual it doesnt state that it accepts 1920x1080 via VGA? I am frustrated that I cant get it to work.

It must be very frustrating! Have you had success with other resolutions?

Philip

[GP11]

Just checking again about hrs of usage menu for the 8900ta, and if anyone has been successful getting into the adj mode.??

I tried the method (very carefully) as detailed by JandG back in Jan 06 for the 8800

I can get into the Adjustment mode as below.. but it wont scroll up or down for the 8900.

I have a sneaky feeling my set is one taken and boxed from the showroom floor.. and would like to verify the hrs of use.

Hi,

One of the things someone asked here the other day was how to see the hours of usage.

It can be seen on the screen as follows:

1. Turn your plasma on

2. Turn your plasma off using the sub-power button on the RHS of the plasma

3. The plasma is now in standby mode

4. Press the sub-power button AND the input select button AND the down-arrow button at the same time and hold for more than 5 seconds

You are now in adjustment mode.

Here is where it can get dangerous so be very careful!!!!!!!!!!

Use the down-arrow button to scroll down until you see number 814 on the LHS on the screen

Next to that you will see a number between 0 and 65535 (max). That is the number of hours the panel has been used. Mine was 873 which is pretty much what it has done and also indicates to me that it basically starts at 0 hours when you first get it. (i.e no 100 hours factory run etc)

After seen it PRESS "Menu button" on remote or RHS of plasma to release "Adjustment mode and the set will return to normal operation.

WORD OF WARNING:

All care taken no responsibility accepted!

There are about 1066 possible fields where values can be changed accidently if you press the wrong button other then the down-arrow button to get to line number 814.

Note: The up and down arrow button selects the line you want to see

Important!!!! The left and right button changes the values of the highlighted line. DO NOT USE!!!

I would NOT recommend using the remote control although it does work. It is to easy to accidently push the left or right arrow button.

Any questions, please ask, happy to help.

[--ThisIsAllToMuchFun--]

On this matter... have any 8900 owners been able to find the correct service setting to check hours usage?

.......

......on the hitachi 9700 the hour usage is give by the line 894....I don't know if it works with the 8900 though

.......also the occasional luminance bloom on the hitachi 9700 was fixed by changing lines 829,830 and 831 from 0 to 1

......this info comes from av forum uk & I'm yet to try them as they might not be correct for the 8900

....... 1920 x 1080 with vga input d-sub is possibly a 1080p signal input which may be out of range as the monitor is only 1080i

........ Kim .......

.

.

[GP11]

Thanks for that 'KIM' .. seems we both posted at same time..

Hope someone knows about the 8900... I couldn't scroll once I got in there..

[--ThisIsAllToMuchFun--]

Thanks for that 'KIM' .. seems we both posted at same time..

Hope someone knows about the 8900... I couldn't scroll once I got in there..

.....I scrolled using the up down arrows on the remote...be careful with this

huge link to uk forum re luminance bounce on the 9700

http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread....ht=hitachi+9700

..... Kim

[GP11]

.....I scrolled using the up down arrows on the remote...be careful with this

link to uk forum re luminance bounce

http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread....ht=hitachi+9700

..... Kim

Thanks.. I'll go have a look at that link...

I didn't try with the remote for scrolling.. BTW.. did you find your hrs usage??

I just found an 8900 owner odin was enquiring about this back in Oct 06..Post #251 on this thread .... not sure if they was successful.

[--ThisIsAllToMuchFun--]

Thanks.. I'll go have a look at that link...

I didn't try with the remote for scrolling.. BTW.. did you find your hrs usage??

I just found an 8900 owner odin was enquiring about this back in Oct 06..Post #251 on this thread .... not sure if they was successful.

.........I've been waiting to do this & I thought I'd take a digi pic of the service settings on the screen...watch for an hour & look again for any changes

...but haven't done it yet.... xmas etc

........................... --ThisIsAllToMuchFun-- ...................

....Kim...

[pjc]

....... 1920 x 1080 with vga input d-sub is possibly a 1080p signal input which may be out of range as the monitor is only 1080i

........ Kim .......

.

Only accepts 1080i not 1080p over Component and HDMI in relation to HDTV signal, not RGB signal. If you look at the manual there is a huge range of input signals over VGA. Interestingly 1920*1080 isn't one of them but I can assure you this is what my video card is set to and the Hitachi handles it just fine.

Philip

[KOTULCN]

Only accepts 1080i not 1080p over Component and HDMI in relation to HDTV signal, not RGB signal. If you look at the manual there is a huge range of input signals over VGA. Interestingly 1920*1080 isn't one of them but I can assure you this is what my video card is set to and the Hitachi handles it just fine.

Philip

I am wondering if it just might be an XBOX 360 graphics card issue. Is there anyone else here with the same television and an xbox 360 that might be able to comment?

[odin]

Thanks.. I'll go have a look at that link...

I didn't try with the remote for scrolling.. BTW.. did you find your hrs usage??

I just found an 8900 owner odin was enquiring about this back in Oct 06..Post #251 on this thread .... not sure if they was successful.

Hi GP11,

I did try the steps that "JandG" mentioned (http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=29954&st=0) but field 814 wasn't look like the hours of usage in 8900, as far as I can tell. I can't remember the figure now but at the time of checking, I was quite sure it's not. I also looked at figures around 814 but couldn't find out.

[KOTULCN]

anyone have any new info?

[pjc]

anyone have any new info?

Sorry but i don't run XBox.

Philip

[GP11]

Hi GP11,

I did try the steps that "JandG" mentioned (http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=29954&st=0) but field 814 wasn't look like the hours of usage in 8900, as far as I can tell. I can't remember the figure now but at the time of checking, I was quite sure it's not. I also looked at figures around 814 but couldn't find out.

Thanks for replying odin.... I finally worked out the correct line for hours used for the 8900..

I toggled through the 900 lines and found five lines close to my current hours used..( 111 )

Lines close to 111 where :-

286 =( 113 )

299 =( 112 )

301 =( 115 )

894 =( 111 )

I came back 4 hrs later.. and Kaabang... line 894 had moved to 115.. while the others remained static.

soo.. Line 894 is it... ... just don't change any line values..

--ThisIsAllToMuchFun-- you were right. It's the same menu as the 9700

[pjc]

Thanks for replying odin.... I finally worked out the correct line for hours used for the 8900..

I toggled through the 900 lines and found five lines close to my current hours used..( 111 )

Lines close to 111 where :-

286 =( 113 )

299 =( 112 )

301 =( 115 )

894 =( 111 )

I came back 4 hrs later.. and Kaabang... line 894 had moved to 115.. while the others remained static.

soo.. Line 894 is it... ... just don't change any line values..

--ThisIsAllToMuchFun-- you were right. It's the same menu as the 9700

Well done!!! There are many out there who have been on this quest for some time.

Philip